Christmas Gift Drabbles 2009
by michelerene
Summary: Chapter four for The Cereal Killer. Naruto refused to look at his watch as he limped down the snow covered sidewalk, his body shivering from the cold. All he could think of was the look on Sasuke's face when he said "I won't wait."
1. For DarkAlbino

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto and Co. and therefore I do not make money for playing with them like they are my own personal and rather naughty action figures.

Author's Note: This is the first of several Christmas giftfics I am writing this year. This one is to Dark Albino who is my muse and darling and everything that is important.

Warning: Yep. Sex. Oh, and skirts. Everyone has to write at least one… this is mine. Merry Christmas!!!!

**Christmas Drabble #1**

**To: DarkAlbino**

**From: Me!**

"Good evening, Mr. Uchiha."

Sasuke Uchiha, CEO of Uchiha Inc. and one of the richest men in the western hemisphere, nodded his hello to the smiling doorman and stepped inside the large gold and glass doors. The flashes from paparazzi camera's reflected off the shiny glass but paled in comparison to the decorations that adorned the inner lobby. White fairy lights looped up the many marble pillars and twisted in and out of fresh greenery and velvety soft white and gold ribbon.

Stopping just inside the closed doors, Sasuke pulled off his black kidskin gloves. "My idiot?" he asked and the door man nodded.

"Mr. Uzumaki came home forty minutes ago, sir. They nearly ate him alive," the doorman said and jerked his head toward the flashes and muted yelling of questions Sasuke would just as soon slam down their throats as answer.

"Hn," Sasuke said as he started walking across the lobby to the elevators.

"Merry Christmas, sir!" the doorman called out.

Sasuke stepped into the elevator and turned to look at the man. His face curled into a sinister smirk. "Merry Christmas, indeed." And the golden doors slid shut, reflecting a confused looking doorman and hordes of blurry paparazzi.

His status as an Uchiha ensured that he had had his share of run-ins with the paparazzi. His net worth was only rivaled by his older brother's. He had a tragic past that he had triumphed over spectacularly. He was gorgeous, the very definition of tall, dark, and handsome. He was broody and unapproachable. And he showed no signs of every pulling himself off the market.

In short, he was the paparazzo's walking wet dream. A picture of Sasuke wasn't just worth a thousand words. They hounded Sasuke's every move. A snapshot of Sasuke at a business lunch was worth thousands of dollars, a blurred shot of Sasuke on a private beach- a cool million. The Golden Grail of every professional shutterbug- Sasuke Uchiha smiling- priceless.

As a result, he was no stranger to media attention and then, last week, he admitted to dating Naruto Uzumaki, the golden boy of the silver screen. Naruto was the current heartthrob of the movie world. He had been compared with every great actor since the silent movie premiered. Everything he touched turned gold. Women and men alike flocked to anything with his name in the credits and everyone anticipated the golden hair actor would be adding a second Oscar to his mantle come next spring. He was rumored to be with… everyone. Men, women, co-stars, hairdressers… the list was endless but when asked, he only winked and then charmed the interviewer into buying him lunch. At the news that he was connected to the youngest Uchiha, it would have been impossible to miss the collective orgasm of the paparazzi world.

Sasuke smirked at his reflection in the elevator doors. The funny part was that he had been dating Naruto for three years and had known him since they were lost orphans in the same boarding school. The only reason anyone knew now was because when he'd asked Naruto what he wanted for Christmas, the blond had thrust his arms into the air dramatically and said, "I want the world!" Sasuke glared, and Naruto finished, with a chuckle, "To know that you are taken."

Sasuke hadn't ever denied Naruto anything. He wasn't about to start now.

So, last week, still wrapped together in their rumpled sheets, Naruto pulled his laptop between them and wrote a blog to his official website proclaiming he had finally fallen deeply, madly, and insanely in love.

Speculation flared across the web and media like wild fire.

The next day, Itachi Uchiha 'accidently' let it slip that his little brother was seeing someone.

The frenzy built and built. Every news program aired pictures of Sasuke and Naruto, throwing half baked theories about who the two most sought after men in the country had fallen for. Ironically, and much to Naruto's amusement, no one collected the dots.

So, on Christmas Eve, Sasuke's limousine pulled up to the Konoha Snowflake Charity Ball. Flashes erupted before the door even opened, but when, instead of walking down the red carpet, Sasuke turned and extended his hand to someone waiting in the car, the crowd waited with bated breath.

When Naruto Uzumaki stood beside Sasuke, wrapping his arm loosely around his waist and kissing him soundly on the cheek, the flashes could have been seen from space.

And then Sasuke tilted his head down slightly to hear Naruto through the screaming and questions and a smile came to his face. The world of paparazzi would never be the same.

Leaving the cameras behind, Naruto and Sasuke faced the questions and congratulations from all of their friends and acquaintances on the inside. Unlike all the events and parties that the two had attended in the past, Naruto stayed pressed against Sasuke's side, smiling like the sun, and touching Sasuke for the smallest things. Naruto run his fingers over Sasuke's chest or kissed his jaw to get his attention. He squeezed his hand if he was bored and pulled playfully at the hair on Sasuke's nape when he wanted 'saved' from a particular admirer.

As Naruto's laugh carried throughout the ballroom, mingling with the soft Christmas music, Sasuke held Naruto's hand and ran his thumb gently over Naruto's knuckles, wondering why they'd kept their relationship a secret so long.

The elevator doors slid open and Sasuke stepped into their top floor pent house. Tossing his keys into a bowl on a wooden table meant just for that purpose, Sasuke kicked off his shoes and walked quietly across the living room. The Christmas tree was lit and bathed the room in a golden glow that Sasuke hardly noticed as he walked swiftly to the back hallway and their room.

Naruto had slipped away a half hour before Sasuke. The benefits of the idea were twofold. First, it would hopefully make getting away easier if they didn't leave together. It didn't matter if the temperature had dropped ten degrees while they were inside, cameras would still be waiting when they left.

Secondly, Sasuke had granted Naruto's Christmas wish… now it was Naruto's turn to grant his.

"Merry Christmas, Sasuke," a voice all but purred and Sasuke leaned against the doorframe of their room. A slow, predatory smirk curled his pink lips and his long fingers loosened his tie, pulling it free from his neck with calculated slowness.

"Merry Christmas, indeed."

Naruto lay propped up against their cherry wood headboard with his tan legs crossed at his ankles. The bedding beneath him was a deep red silk and shone in the Christmas lights that had appeared around their bedroom. His arms were propped with a poised laziness on several pillows.

All of this was enough to make Sasuke's mouth dry, but it was Christmas Eve and this was his Christmas wish… and when had his pants gotten so fucking tight?

Sasuke blinked, forcing himself to focus. And what a wonderful Christmas gift it was. Naruto wore a Santa hat on his head, wisps of blond hair curling around his ears and at the nape of his neck. Sasuke's fingers itched to thread through those curls and pull Naruto's head back. With a forced effort, Sasuke moved his eyes down, past Naruto's brilliant smile, and to the velvety, long sleeve top he wore. It was red like his hat with white, fluffy trim around the cuffs and hem at the waist. The fabric hugged Naruto's chest like another skin and when Naruto shifted, the hem rode up and revealed a sliver of smooth, tan skin between the top and the…

"You know, bastard," Naruto said darkly from the bed as he drew his right foot slowly up his left leg. Sasuke couldn't look away. "The last time I wore a skirt I made seven million dollars and was nominated for an Oscar."

Sasuke pushed off from the frame and began unbuttoning his shirt with cool efficiency. "I'll write you a check," he growled and his shirt fell to the floor followed but his pants and boxers.

Naruto's chuckle was breathy, and perhaps more moan than chuckle. His foot had slid nearly to his knee when he let his leg fall to the side. The short, red skirt he wore slid higher on his thighs and exposed the fact that he wore nothing underneath.

"Fuck," Sasuke drew out and crawled slowly up the bed. He stopped at Naruto's ankle and trailed his fingers over the warm tan skin he found there. Wrapping his pale fingers around Naruto's ankle, Sasuke lifted his leg, gently forcing his knee to bend and match the other leg. Now, Naruto was spread open to him, his red skirt caught at the base of his hard, dripping cock.

Moving to his knees between Naruto's legs, Sasuke must have licked his lips because suddenly Naruto leaned forward and cupped his jaw, running his thumb over the wet trail Sasuke's tongue had left. "Thank you for my gift, Sasuke," Naruto whispered and pulled his head forward until their lips met. Sasuke immediately pushed his tongue past Naruto's lips and sucked eagerly on Naruto's tongue, feeling his soft mewls of need vibrate in both of their mouths. Parting just enough that their lips brushed as they talked, Naruto said, "I hope you enjoy yours."

Sasuke smirked and his fingers moved between Naruto's legs, ghosting over his dripping cock to cup and roll his balls. Sasuke watched as blue eyes widened impossibly and Naruto bucked up against his hand while his own hands wildly reached up and gripped the sides of Sasuke's head.

It was only then that he heard the soft, chirping jingles. Removing his hand from the warm, wrinkled skin he had been toying with, Sasuke gripped one of Naruto's wrists and brought it in front of his face. Nestled in the soft, white fur were three silver bells.

"Sasuke," Naruto whispered and Sasuke looked back into Naruto's face. His pupils were dilated from the dim lighting, but mostly from need, and his lashes fell slowly against his cheeks. Lust swirled in their crystal depths and Sasuke had to bite his tongue so he didn't get lost in the love he saw there. Without breaking eye contact, Sasuke slowly brought Naruto's wrist to his mouth and kissed the soft, smooth skin over Naruto's racing pulse.

"These are nice," he said as his nose bumped one of the bells. "And I intend to enjoy them and the rest of my…" He released Naruto's wrist and bent at the waist until he could nuzzle the fine, blond hairs at the base of Naruto's cock, like he had the fur on his cuffs. "… gift," he finished and swallowed Naruto's cock whole.

Naruto's hands immediately latched onto the dark hair next to his ears and he smiled, sucking all the harder, when light jingles rang in his ears along with Naruto's dark curses.

"Oh, god, Sasuke…" Naruto bit out between draws for air. Sasuke lifted his eyes and saw Naruto lean forward. One hand loosened from his hair and Naruto's fingers trailed shakily over Sasuke's stretched lips. "Fuck," Naruto whispered in awe, "you are so…" Sasuke's tongue pressed harshly against the underside of Naruto's cock, dragging up quickly, and licked the slit at the top. Naruto's words were lost in the shout of surprise he released before he fell back into the red sheets.

Still bobbing his head and increasing and decreasing the suction in a way that made Naruto's fingers curl and uncurl around the soft fabric of the sheets, Sasuke pushed his hands under Naruto's skirt until it bunched around his waist. Sliding his hands down Naruto's thighs, Sasuke pushed Naruto's knees up and out until his ass slid down the bed and he was open almost obscenely to Sasuke's eyes.

Sweat gathered on Naruto's golden skin, reflecting the light of the candles and Sasuke loosened his mouth so that a bit of saliva slid over the wrinkled skin of Naruto's balls and onto the puckered skin of his hole. Without warning, Sasuke took as much of Naruto into his mouth as he could and pressed a finger deep inside Naruto's tight heat.

Naruto's whimper drew Sasuke's attention and he looked up to see that the hat had fallen off of Naruto's head leaving his blond spikes tussled and damp from sweat. "More," Naruto begged, "god, I need…" and Sasuke slowly slid his mouth off Naruto's cock even as he pushed another finger deep inside his blond.

"So tight, Naruto," Sasuke breathed and kissed a trail over Naruto's quivering thigh. He added a third finger and leaned back on his heels to watch Naruto arch off the bed and moan his name.

Naruto ran his fingers through his own hair desperately and looked at Sasuke with lust filled eyes. "Now, please, now…" Sasuke's fingers curled, brushing punishingly over Naruto's prostate and he screamed. "Sasuke! Please!"

Yanking his fingers free, Sasuke leaned to the side and grabbed the lube Naruto had left waiting on the side table. With practiced ease, and despite his shaking hands, Sasuke covered his own neglected cock and leaned down and kissed Naruto until the blond twisted his head to the side, gasping for air. "Now, bastard," he hissed and then grabbed Sasuke's face in both hands, yanking him down until their teeth clicked harshly and bit and licked at Sasuke's lips. "Please."

"Yes," Sasuke whispered and wrapped his fingers under Naruto's knees. Naruto's arms, bells ringing pleasantly, wrapped around his neck while tan fingers curled into his hair.

For one brief second, Sasuke stilled, the head of his cock pressed against Naruto's opening and the only sound was the swallow lisps of their breathing. Naruto blinked wide, blue eyes and nodded and Sasuke pushed forward, sliding deep inside without pause.

"Ahhhhh," Naruto moaned and tugged painfully at Sasuke's hair. With no regards toward the pain, Sasuke pushed Naruto's knees up to his elbows and stood on his knees. He pulled out slowly and shoved back into hard enough that Naruto's body slid over the silk sheets. "More, harder," Naruto demanded and moved one hand to wrap around his straining cock.

The bells on his wrist jingled wildly with the movement of his hand and spurred Sasuke to match the pace. His black hair clung to his forehead and the side of his face while he muscles rippled over his back. Naruto's red shirt had rode up, exposing glistening, tan skin, and his skirt bunched above his cock.

Naruto's words fell from his lips in an incoherent jumble of moans and pleas that pulled Sasuke faster and faster toward his completion. "_Naruto_," Sasuke moaned and nearly bent Naruto in half as he slammed into his heat over and over.

With a primal cry of Sasuke's name, Naruto's hips lifted off the bed and he came, white cum covering his red shirt and skirt. Sasuke's eyes rolled into the back of his head, white lights blinding him from behind his eyes, and he came hard, gasping for breath and Naruto… both equally as important, as he couldn't live without either.

He had no idea how much time had passed, but Sasuke growled low in his throat when he felt Naruto shift under him. He tried to tighten his grip on Naruto's waist, but Naruto easily pushed him off and stood. Sasuke turned his head and with just one eye open, watched Naruto walk gingerly toward the bathroom. The red shirt still rode high up Naruto's back and the skirt brushed teasingly just past the swell of Naruto's ass.

"Hmmm," he said and Naruto stopped mid-step, turning to look at him. The skirt swirled softly around Naruto's thighs and the bells jingled at Naruto's wrists. Propping himself up on his elbow, Sasuke smirked. "Yes, Naruto, I loved my Christmas present."


	2. For Gwyllion

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto and Co. and, therefore, I do not make money from playing with them like they are my own personal and rather naughty action figures.

**To: Gwyllion**… my darling and adorable hobbit hole roommate and the second half of my personal OTP. Love doesn't begin to cover the love… I've move right into covet.

Author's Note: I guess this is kind of a fairytale, which, of course, makes me smile. It's based loosely on Hans Christian Anderson's "The Little Match Girl" because if Disney can change the ending of Hans's "The Little Mermaid", I most certainly can change this.

**Christmas Drabble #2**

**To Gwyllion**

**From Me!**

Gatou was a bully of a man with cruel, squinty eyes and a greasy mustache. He was the undisputed 'boss' of the Westside and had no qualms with using the town's poor and orphaned children as cheap… or, more to the point, _free_ labor.

Three days before Christmas, and in the back corner of a dirty, disreputable tavern, Gatou glared down at his least favorite street rat. "Don't even think about coming back here until every last match has been sold."

Naruto Uzumaki bowed his head and closed his eyes. His small fingers clenched and unclenched around the orange patch on his worn, brown jacket and his right hand worried the bundle of matches in his pocket. Shifting, he pulled his jacket tight over his chest and tugged at his oversize brown pants. He had no socks and his shoes were tattered and far too big for his feet.

"I don't know if I can sell them all," Naruto began slowly and then looked up with big, blue eyes. "And it's so cold."

No one in the dingy pub even turned when the small, blond child, no older than eight, was picked up by his collar and slammed into the wall. In fact, most of the questionable patrons didn't even look up from their ale. Better to keep Gatou's attention on the unfortunate waif.

Naruto grabbed fruitlessly at the sausage-like fingers that pinned him and slowly cut off his air. He nodded his head wildly and then had to scramble to stay on his feet when his Gatou dropped him without warning. "Get out of here!" the fat man yelled and then laughed when, in his hurry to comply, Naruto tripped, tearing a hole in his pants and ripping the soft skin on his palms.

Naruto bit his bottom lip to stop himself from crying out and raced out of the door as fast as his little legs would carry him. He continued to run and run, dodging white faced prostitutes and grisly, smelly drunkards. He ducked under a crate of fish and twisted out of the angry grasp of a fisherman, saluting cheekily when he broke free.

Finally, when his lungs and legs couldn't handle it anymore, Naruto slowed to a walk. Looking around him, he smiled. Gone were the narrow, crumpling streets of the Westside, replaced by the wide, well maintained cobblestone streets of the wealthy Eastside. The men wore suits with polished shoes and jaunty top hats. Beautiful women strolled beside them with their cascading curls held in place with scarves that looked so soft Naruto's fingers itched to touch them.

Covered carriages lead by handsome steeds replaced the wobbly wagons with their haggard nags that Naruto was used to seeing. Fresh swags of evergreen draped from every lamp pole and decorative wreaths hung on every door. Children -oh, Naruto loved the children most- walked along behind their parents, warm hats on their heads and fuzzy mittens covering their fingers. Their voices rose like bells on the air as they pulled on their mothers' skirts, asking for hot rolls and toys and dresses and candy. They pressed their faces against the glass of the toy store or candy store and their parents patted them on the head and promised them all sorts of amazing things because… and this was Naruto's favorite part… 'Christmas was coming'.

Snow began to fall silently from the sky and, unlike the snow on the Westside that only seemed to make everything more miserable, dirty and wet, the snow here covered everything in a blanket of white, sparkling and pure.

Straightening his measly jacket, Naruto hissed when his hands rubbed over the coarse fabric. Dried blood covered the cracks of his palms and he bent quickly, scooping up a handful of snow and rubbing his hands to clean them. It hurt and once more, his lip took the brunt of his pain, before he stood, wiping his hands off on his pants.

Satisfied, Naruto stood a little straighter and dung into the pocket of his jacket, pulling out several crude, wooden matches. He smiled brightly and stepped out of the shadows and onto the side of the pleasant street.

"Matches!" he hollered, "Matches for sale."

Xxx

Sasuke Uchiha grumbled to himself and pulled the collar of his black, wool jacket up higher to stop the flakes of snow from chilling his neck. The action made the midnight black strands of hair on the back of his head stand up even more than usual. His right hand ducked angrily into his pocket, feeling the scarf he had shoved away. If he were a smart boy, he'd put the blasted thing on and solve his problem, but he was an Uchiha and he would not wear an orange scarf.

His grumbling turned to the curses he'd heard his brother use more than once but would assure that Sasuke got a bar of soap in his mouth if that same hypocritical, evil ass ever heard him.

Itachi and Kisame had thought it was ridiculously funny when the young Hurano heiress presented Sasuke with the gift. Of course, Itachi's face hadn't betrayed any emotion, but his damn evil eyes practically glowed with amusement. Kisame had to turn his head and cover his laugh with an ill-place cough.

"Asses," Sasuke growled and then tumbled to the ground, wrapped around a boy he hadn't seen as he was walking.

"What?" a voice said slightly dazed and Sasuke lifted himself off the wiggling mass enough to see bright blue eyes staring up at him. "Oi! Bastard, get off me!"

Sasuke backed up so quickly he fell on his bottom in the snow, his feet finding little traction on the ice. The blond boy sat up slowly and rubbed the back of his head, still eyeing Sasuke suspiciously. He hissed and brought his hand back down. Sasuke's black eyes widened at the gashes he saw.

"Did I do that?" he demanded and the way the blond flinched at the sound of his voice and shook his head made Sasuke realize he wasn't using his manners. He crawled forward to take the boy's hand when the blond's face paled and he began looking around in earnest.

"Oh no, oh no," the boy whispered desperately and turned over onto his hands and knees. Sasuke looked around as well trying to figure out what the boy was so worried about. Small, grubby fingers clawed at the snow and Sasuke finally saw the boy was picking up matches.

"What are you doing?" he snapped but the boy continued to ignore him and grab at the snow. A cold, wet feeling began seeping into his pants and Sasuke stood, brushing off the snow. The blond child had stopped moving, but now he held his matches close to his chest and a telltale tremor shook his body.

"Are you crying?" Sasuke asked again with a sneer. He had begun to think that the boy was deaf.

"Shut up," the blond whispered and then turned angrily and screamed, "SHUT UP!"

Sasuke immediately pounced on the boy, slamming a gloved hand over his mouth and yanking the child to his feet. "Be quiet, you little idiot!" he growled and then released his face and began brushing the snow off his tattered coat like they were long, lost playmates.

"I forgive you for running into me, although why you were standing in the middle of the street like an idiot…"

The boy slapped his hand away and rubbed at his running nose with his sleeve. Sasuke closed his eyes in disgust. "You ran into me, bastard!"

Once more Sasuke slapped a hand over his mouth. "Stop calling me that!" he hissed. "Where did you even learn that? Little boys do not say that… not ever."

"I am NOT a little boy," the blond sputtered angrily. "I'm eight!"

Sasuke took a step back and eyed the angry faced boy with cool speculation. "I never would have guessed over six."

"What… you, bas… JERK!"

Sasuke smirked. "Well, I am nine. My name is Sasuke Uchiha. I'm older and you have to do what I say and I say that you have to tell me your name and why you are crying like a baby over matches."

The blond stomped his foot, but when Sasuke mentioned matches, his little face crumbled and his lower lip began to tremble.

"My name is Naruto and I… you… they broke," he said pathetically and held up six, small broken sticks.

Sasuke's eyes narrowed. "So what? Do you collect them or something?"

Naruto shook his head and flakes of snow slipped from the golden strands of hair sticking out in every possible direction on his head. "No, I sell them. I have to sell all of them, you see, and no one will want to buy broken ones. I'll have to go… back…" Naruto's frame shook.

"Back? Back where? Home?"

A sad smile came to Naruto's lips. "Yeah, jerk… home."

In that one choked out word, Sasuke knew that going home didn't mean to Naruto what going home meant to him.

Sasuke ran his fingers through his hair and then held out his hand. Naruto stared at his glove covered fingers and then looked at him with confusion. "What?"

"I'll buy them."

Naruto instinctively pulled the matches closer to his body. "Why? They are broken and useless."

Sasuke released a disgusted 'hn' and snatched Naruto's bare fingers in his own, prying them open until the broken matches fell into his hand. "And I want all the rest, too."

Naruto blinked and then started looking around him as though he thought Sasuke were crazy and moments away from killing him. "Look, you ba-jerk, that's not funny. You can't buy them. You're a kid. Where's your mummy and daddy, little boy?"

Sasuke's fingers closed around Naruto's hand until Naruto gasped in pain. The noise shocked Sasuke and he threw Naruto's hand away from him like he'd been burned. "My mother and father are dead."

"Oh," Naruto mouthed, hardly a sound escaping, and he looked down nervously. "I'm sorry."

"Where are your mother and father?"

"I don't know," Naruto said and his fingers dug into his pocket. With a sigh, he pulled out the rest of his matches. "I don't remember them. And no one can tell me anything." He shrugged and finally looked up. With a blinding smile that nearly curled his eyes into inverted U's, he said, "Can you really pay for these, bastard?"

Sasuke glared at the name but stopped when Naruto blushed and muttered an apology. "Yes, I can." He pulled off his glove and stuck his hand in his pocket, fishing for the money Kisame had given him to entertain himself while he and Sasuke's brother conducted business they had in town.

Sasuke stuffed his newly purchased matches into his pocket and watched Naruto do the same with his money. When he was done, Naruto shivered and tried to pull his coat collar up to starve off the cold.

"Well, it was nice to meet you, Sasuke," Naruto said softly and then he jerked his head toward the road. "I guess I should go…"

Sasuke stepped closer to Naruto and pulled the orange scarf from his pocket. Without saying a word, he wound the warm fabric around Naruto's neck, stuffing the ends into his miserable jacket.

"I… I can't take this…" Naruto said but he nuzzled into the downy softness.

"Hn," Sasuke said. "I owe you." A blush came unbidden to his pale cheeks. "For breaking the matches."

Naruto's smile was huge, the brightest thing Sasuke had ever seen, and he'd swear that he felt warmer just seeing it. "I thought I ran into you?"

"Hn." Sasuke shrugged and walked away from the smiling boy. At the corner, he turned around and Naruto was still smiling and rubbing his cheeks against the hideous orange scarf. "Merry Christmas, idiot."

Naruto started and blushed. "Oh, yeah, Merry Christmas, bas-jerk."

Xxx

Sasuke sat in the carriage and stared out the window at the shops and businesses they slowly passed by. It was December 23rd and Kisame and Itachi were taking Sasuke to town with them once more. Since their run-in yesterday, he hadn't been able to get Naruto out of his head.

Sasuke knew that there were unfortunate children in Konoha, poor children and orphans, who unlike himself and his brother, had nothing once their parents died. He'd seen them huddled together in their ratty clothes with their dirty faces. Itachi gave money every Christmas to help the needy children, but they never stopped being needy. They never weren't there and so, most of the time, Sasuke didn't even see them anymore. He wondered if Naruto always sold matches on that corner and, if he did, how many times had Sasuke driven by him and never noticed?

"Sasuke," a smooth voice said interrupting his thoughts.

"Hn," he said and turned away from the window, blinking at the contrast in light from the outdoors to the interior of the carriage.

Itachi Uchiha gave him a pointed look. "I've been talking to you."

Sasuke just shrugged and propped his face in his hand before looking out the window again.

Maybe Itachi started speaking again, but through the frost covered glass of the carriage, Sasuke made out a blurry figure with golden hair and an obnoxious orange scarf.

"Stop the carriage!" Sasuke suddenly cried, banging on the roof, and Itachi's eyes widened.

"What are you doing?" Itachi asked his little brother incredulously and Kisame chuckled beside him.

"Sasuke," the tall black man said softy and Sasuke immediately stilled. With a grin, Kisame continued, "You're scaring your brother. What is this about?"

"May I get out here?" he said hoping his voice didn't sound as anxious as he felt. His heart beat rapidly in his chest and his eyes continued to dart outside the window. "There's something I want… something that I saw… yesterday. I just…" Finally, Sasuke forced himself to sit in his seat and address his brother. "Please."

Itachi looked at his brother, for what felt to Sasuke like a very long time, and nodded slowly. "When you are done, you'll meet us at the office." It should have been a question, but Itachi had never been much of an asker.

"Yes, big brother," Sasuke said slowly and then reached for the handle of the carriage. "Thank you."

Sasuke was gone and didn't see the look that Itachi and Kisame shared before the carriage began its journey again.

Xxx

"Matches!" Naruto hollered but then had to bend over slightly at the cough that racked his body. Several well dressed patrons left a wide berth between the boy and themselves. As his cough settled, Naruto heard someone say how sad it was, this poor little boy on the side of the road, but no one stopped to help or ask if he was okay.

Standing straighter, he put a smile on his face only to have it disappear when a hand fall on his shoulder.

"Are you crying again?"

Naruto snapped his head around and would have slipped on the ice had Sasuke not reached out and grabbed him. "Sasuke," he said in surprise. He jerked away from Sasuke's grip and straightened his jacket and scarf. "Why are you here?"

Sasuke's gloved hand reached out and grasped his chin. "What happen to your face?" Sasuke asked and Naruto's eyes widened at how serious the nine year old sounded. His pale face was harsh and his black eyes were angry.

"I…" he began and then jerked his head away from Sasuke's fingers. His hand came up and ran over the side of his face where he knew a black and purple bruise smeared across his tan cheek. Sasuke batted his fingers away and ghosted his thumb over the bruise. "It's none of your business!" Naruto spat and turned away from Sasuke.

He was forced to stop when the scarf around his neck was yanked and he fell to the ground. "Bastard!" Naruto growled and kicked out his feet, knocking Sasuke to the ground. Before Sasuke could move to his feet Naruto scrambled on top of him. Sasuke's chest heaved beneath him and his face was twisted with anger. Naruto's cold fingers curled into the warm fabric over Sasuke's shoulders and he closed his eyes, ignoring all the stares of the people around them. "Don't be angry at me," he whispered and then yelped when Sasuke arched up, bucking Naruto off and into the snow.

Sasuke glared down at him for only a second before pulling them both to standing. Naruto stood still while Sasuke brushed the snow from his coat and glared at the staring crowd until they began to move along again.

"I am not angry with you," Sasuke growled low in his throat but the brushes over Naruto's back were nearly painful. "Yes, I'm angry with you," he countered and then stepped back.

Naruto rubbed the back of his head and shrugged. "Look, I have to sell…"

"I'll buy them."

Naruto's fingers curled around the hair at his nape and tugged. "What? Why?" Sasuke didn't even answer and instead shoved bills and coins into Naruto's hands. "Sasuke…"

"I don't know why," Sasuke said and stood with his head bowed in front of Naruto. A dark blue scarf wrapped around his neck and Naruto reached out his hand to run his fingers over it, like all the times he'd wanted to feel just how soft those bright, beautiful scarves could be.

"Someone hurts you and makes you sell those matches. Is it because you don't have a brother?" Sasuke asked and the tips of Naruto's fingers brushed the scarf before Sasuke grabbed his fingers and twisted his hand until they were both looking into his palm. "I know that little kids get hurt, but I never knew one…"

Naruto's red nose squished up in confusion. "No, I don't have a brother. But other kids do and it doesn't help, I don't think." Naruto pulled his hand away and shove it in his pocket. "Yesterday I got in trouble for coming home so early, that's all. Today I won't. You don't have to worry."

"I'm not worried, idiot," Sasuke said and finally looked Naruto in the eye with cool detachment. "But, since we both have to wait to go home, want to look around with me? I still have to buy my brother a Christmas gift."

Naruto's blue eyes widened and he looked around at the colorful decorations and the smiling faces. "Um, I don't think that I'm allowed, really…"

"Shut up," Sasuke said and yanked at Naruto's coat, pulling him toward a stand with steaming breads, seemingly deaf to Naruto's objections.

Xxx

The sun was setting, just visible over the brick buildings around Naruto and Sasuke, and their shadows stretched ahead of them like willowy trees over the snow. Naruto's hands were shoved deep into his pockets and he pushed his mouth and nose down into the warmth of his scarf. He hadn't taken it off since Sasuke had given it to him. It was the only gift he'd ever received. He loved that it helped to keep him warm, but mostly, he loved that it smelled like Sasuke, reminding him of his new…

"Are we friends, Sasuke," Naruto asked. Sasuke walked beside with his hands clasp behind his back. He stopped under a burning lamp pole, the smell of evergreens swirling around them, and turned to look at Naruto for a long time before nodding his head.

"Yes, we are."

Naruto straightened his head until his nose and mouth were exposed to the cool air and he grinned. "I'm glad."

Sasuke stared at him for a long moment longer and then looked up at the darkening sky. "I have to go."

Naruto's smile faltered some but he nodded. "Yeah, me too. Time to go back."

Sasuke's eyebrows furrowed and Naruto quickly thrust his hands out to Sasuke. Sasuke held out his own and Naruto gave him all the matches he had bought that day. "Naruto, tomorrow is Christmas Eve…"

Naruto nodded and something like longing rippled through him. "Yep, I know."

"I won't be able to come and see you."

Naruto ducked his mouth and nose back into his scarf in an effort to hide his disappointment at not seeing Sasuke. It wasn't about Sasuke buying his matches and more about how being with Sasuke made him think of silly things he'd never have, like home and family. "Che," he said, muffled by his scarf, "You'll be with your family. You have fun!"

"Is there anywhere you can g-" Sasuke began but Naruto grinned at him and slapped him on the back before running off, waving wildly behind him.

"Merry Christmas, bastard!" he hollered jollily into the night and then disappeared into the darkening shadows.

Sasuke stood on the corner, under that lamp, until he heard a carriage come to a stop beside him. "Foolish, little brother," someone snapped behind him but all Sasuke could do was squeeze the matches in his hand and whisper, "I am worried, idiot."

Xxx

When morning came on Christmas Eve Day, Naruto awoke, in his attic room, to find that the temperature had dropped drastically in the night. He opened his eyes and looked across the planked wood to see that the frost had crept from the windows, down the low wall, and halfway across the floor to Naruto's thin sleeping mattress.

Whether it was the sight, or the actual cold, Naruto began shivering violently and tucked his knees into his chest and his face into his scarf, closing his eyes. "Sasuke," he whispered and then screamed when the door to his 'room' slammed open.

"Get up, you miserable welp!" Gatou yelled from the doorway and then disappeared down the hallway.

When he got downstairs, his breakfast, pasty oats and a glass of water, was frozen solid, most likely left to sit overnight. Unsurprisingly, Gatou didn't care and thrust a handful of matches at Naruto before pushing him out the door. "Don't come back until they are all sold!" he bellowed and then slammed the tavern door shut.

Naruto stood outside the miserable building and immediately noticed a difference. The roads were nearly deserted and Naruto began running, his movements unhampered, hoping his feet would warm up with the action. No one was out, perhaps because of the holiday, but mostly because it was too cold to do anything but freeze.

When he reached the Eastside, Naruto stopped on his corner and looked into the windows of the well lit shops. Customers and shopkeepers chatted merrily and drank tea, while the fires roaring in their hearths kept them cozy.

Whenever a lady or gentlemen walked by, Naruto smiled and held out his matches but they hardly looked at him, minds already on their friends and family.

But nightfall, Naruto's stiff fingers curled around a handful of matches still unsold in his pocket and he looked up to see the last light, in a shop across the street, go out.

He couldn't go home, but he couldn't stand on the corner all night either. With a nod of his head, Naruto wrapped his arms around his body, curling his fingers into tight fists and shuffled his cold feet across the street. He sat on the shop stoop to the toy store he and Sasuke had looked at the day before. Turning his head, Naruto looked into the window and saw a gingerbread boy running from a fox, a ballerina twirling in her pink tutu, and a Santa being pulled in his sleigh by eight tiny reindeer.

Yesterday, Sasuke had told Naruto all of their names. Cupping his hands in front of his face, he tried to remember them. "Dasher and Dancer and Donner and…" He was forced to snap his jaw shut when his shivering rattled his teeth so badly, it hurt.

Pulling his scarf up and over his head, Naruto leaned against the hard, brick wall and watched the empty street. He was going to freeze to death. He didn't doubt it for a moment. He had nowhere to go and no one could help him.

He closed his bright blue eyes and tried to remember his time with Sasuke. Yesterday had been the best day of Naruto's life. He'd never been so full, Sasuke forced food on him at every opportunity. He'd never been so warm, Sasuke dragged Naruto behind him into store after store, immediately placing Naruto next to the fire with a 'don't touch anything and don't move'. And he'd never been so happy. Sasuke told Naruto about his brother and his boyfriend. He told Naruto about trips to the ocean and warm cups of chocolate. He let Naruto pick the color of handkerchiefs he decided to buy for his brother and, for one glorious day, Naruto felt like he had family.

A single tear slide down Naruto's cheek and soaked into his scarf and Naruto sat up slowly. With shaking hands, he pulled the matches from his pocket and laid them one after another on the icy, brick steps. When he was done, he counted eight in all.

Picking one up, he held it between his fingers and peered at it over the edge of his scarf, his mouth and nose huddled in its folds.

"Just one," he said to himself and without giving it a second thought, struck the match on the stone beside him and then blinked as the golden light lit the darkness.

Naruto closed his eyes and felt the warmth wash over his face and lick at his fingers. Somewhere, he heard the softest chuckle and heard a voice he'd never heard say, 'and this one is for Naruto'.

His eyes snapped open and in the golden globe of light shining around the tip of the match, Naruto saw himself sitting on a rug in front of a crackling fire. There was a tree, taller than anything he'd ever imagined, beside him with presents spilling forth beneath its decorated branches. He reached out to take the present from a grinning, dark skinned man who handed it off and then ruffled his hair. He held the present close, running his fingers over the ribbon until a hand slapped him upside the back of his head. "Idiot, open it. It's only the first one."

"Sasuke!" Naruto gasped and then dropped the match, the light and the heat and the glorious image disappearing in the blink of an eye. "No!" Naruto shouted and grabbed another match, ignoring the sting of the blisters on the tips of his fingers and struck it against the wall.

This time Naruto didn't blink and hardly noticed the heat, so focused on the golden glow. He was outside in the cold and the snow, but he wore a warm coat with gloves and fur lined boots. His head was covered in a hat so fluffy that he nearly had to hold it with both hands as he ran through the snow laughing. He reached the corner of a huge home and plastered himself against the wall before slowly sticking his head out to peer around the corner. His stealth was rewarded with a snowball to the face. He sputtered and spit and then glared up at Sasuke who had run up to him. "Got you again!" the dark haired boy gloated.

The match fell discarded to the ground and before the wisp of smoke had died, Naruto had lit another.

Naruto and Sasuke sat curled together under a warm blanket on the couch. Each held cups of hot chocolate in their hands but their attention was focused elsewhere. The room was lit with candles and a single lamp next to a high backed chair. In the chair, a beautiful man with long, black hair that Naruto had never met but knew was Sasuke's brother, read from a brown covered book in his lap. _'The school is not quite deserted,' said the Ghost. 'A solitary child, neglected by his friends, is left there still.'_ Sasuke's free hand reached over to Naruto and brushed at his cheek. 'Are you crying?' he asked.

Naruto sobbed into the darkness and scrambled for another match.

The scene was completely different. Itachi and the dark skinned man, Kisame, Naruto remembered, walked together over rocks and shells. Sasuke and Naruto walked behind them as waves crashed against the shore and threatened to overtake their shoes. Sasuke reached out and laced his fingers in Naruto's, stopping him, before bending down and picking up something off the beach. Without releasing his fingers, Sasuke held out a white and orange shell the size of his palm. Naruto touched it tentatively and jumped back when long crab legs immerged from the shell. His laughter blended with Sasuke's and was carried away on the salt-kissed wind.

Naruto didn't notice his blisters rip on the rough stone, too anxious to see more.

Naruto and Sasuke sat side by side in a classroom. A handful of other children sat around them, talking and laughing, before the teacher rapped his ruler on his desk. "Children, I would like each of you to read your essays on the things you are thankful for. Master Naruto, if you please." Naruto turned to look at Sasuke who didn't smile but nodded toward the front of the room and Naruto walked down the aisle, coarse paper gripped tightly in his fingers. He cleared his throat and looked down to see that the ink had smudged over the page, nearly ruining all of his hard work. Casting a worried look at his teacher, he looked back at the paper and then right at the class. With a clear and proud voice, he said simply, 'I am thankful for Sasuke.' He might get an 'F' and have to listen to Itachi chastise him on his performance, but Sasuke smiled. And that was all that mattered.

"Sasuke," Naruto whimpered and quickly lit another.

Once more Naruto sat in front of a Christmas tree but this time he was older. He wore a suit and tie and handed gifts to Kisame and Itachi before turning to Sasuke. A blush stole across his cheeks and he hoped Sasuke thought it was from the heat of the fire. He held out a small, green wrapped present. Sasuke took the gift, his fingers brushing over Naruto's, and raised a single, dark eyebrow at Naruto's behavior. Opening the gift, he held up a beautifully etched pocket watch. Naruto could barely look at him as Sasuke opened the watch and read the inscription inside. Snapping the watch closed, Sasuke reached out and grasped Naruto's chin in his fingers, tilting his head up until he was forced to meet Sasuke's deep, black eyes. 'There is no one more precious to me than you,' he said softly, repeating the words he had just read.

"No, please, please," Naruto begged as he flung the used match to the ground and gathered up the last two.

In the golden glow, he saw himself standing on the porch of some home he had never seen but knew in his heart was his… their home. Snow fell in large, fluffy flakes making it impossible to see the other side of the yard. Wind blew around him, bending and lifting his blond spikes until they brushed over his cheeks and into his eyes.

He was startled when a bright orange scarf was wrapped around his neck and left to hang against his chest. Warm arms wrapped around him and without thought or consideration, he melted into the embrace. "Idiot," Sasuke spoke against his ear, pulling him closer and rubbing his hands up and down Naruto's arms. "What are you doing?" he purred and then bit playfully at Naruto's earlobe. "I promised you'd never be cold again…"

Naruto hissed and was forced to drop the burning match to the ground. His fingers ached and burned and his teeth chattered nonstop, shaking his body so badly he dropped the last match twice before striking it against the step.

Everything was warm and soft and Naruto felt like he might be floating. Suddenly, Sasuke was above him, his body pressed firmly on his own and so warm, Naruto moaned low in his throat. Black strands of feather soft hair fell into Sasuke's face and he slowly lowered his face, inch by inch, until Naruto could feel his breaths ghost over his skin. Sasuke leaned forward and pressed a kiss to Naruto's forehead, both his eyes, and, finally, against his trembling mouth. "Naruto," he whispered, "I love you."

Darkness surrounded him and, as the last match dropped to the snowy ground, Naruto curled into himself, resting his face against the cool brick. With shaky fingers, Naruto pulled the scarf up over his nose and breathed in the faint scent of the dark haired boy he hardly knew but that meant everything to him. "Sasuke," he whispered and his blond lashes fell slowly against his cold, white cheeks. "Sasuke, I love…" And Naruto knew no more.

Xxx

Sasuke's fingernails bit painfully into his hands and he stared out of the carriage windows into the darkness as if he could will himself to see in the pitch black. "Hurry, hurry, hurry…"

He didn't even know he'd spoken aloud until his brother spoke. "Sasuke, it's ten o' clock at night and the temperature is well below freezing. I'm sure your friend," he voice expressed his disbelief, "is tucked safely in his bed. Like you should be."

Sasuke just shook his head and continued to stare out the window. He knew Naruto was out there. He never would have been able to sell his matches. And even if he did, what was home? "He doesn't have a home," Sasuke finally said and Kisame jerked his head to look at Sasuke.

"What do you mean? Who is this friend of yours?"

"He has holes in his pants and only that stupid scarf I gave him to keep him warm. He sells matches across from the candy store. I have been buying them because he can't go back unless he sells them. He doesn't have a home and wherever back is, they hurt him."

Sasuke blinked rapidly, mortified when his lashes came away damp. "Hurry, hurry, hurry…"

When they reached Naruto's corner, Sasuke, Itachi, and Kisame all got out and stood in the cold, snowy street. There were no lights but for a few street lamps still stubbornly flickering. The snow had begun to fall and they couldn't hear a single sound save for the horses of their own carriage.

"Naruto!" Sasuke yelled and got silence in response. Itachi and Kisame stood side by side, Kisame's hands on Itachi's arms. Sasuke looked up at them with pleading eyes. "Help me look. I know he's here." Without looking down, he said, "Please."

Kisame nodded and headed to one side of the street, checking every shop stoop and corner, while Sasuke and Itachi headed toward the toy store. Sasuke froze when he saw the end of his orange scarf flapping in the wind and ran toward it, only to be yanked backwards by his brother.

"No, let me go. It's him! I told you! Let me go!"

"Kisame!" Itachi yelled and shoved Sasuke backward into the taller man's arms while he stepped slowly up to the small heap that lay cuddled on the cold, stone stoop. He bent down and pulled off his glove before gently looking for signs of life in the small boy.

"Naruto!" Sasuke screamed, fighting and kicking. "You idiot! You little bastard! Wake up! Naruto!"

Itachi stood suddenly and tore off his jacket before bending and wrapping Naruto in its warmth. "Sasuke," he snapped and Sasuke immediately stopped struggling. "He's alive… barely." Kisame stepped around Sasuke and scooped the blond boy into his arms. Itachi walked swiftly to the carriage and gave orders to the driver while Kisame carried Naruto, tight against his broad chest, to the vehicle.

Sasuke yanked open the door and Kisame crawled inside, sitting with Naruto held in his lap. Sasuke sat right next to him and gathered one of Naruto's frigid hands in his own. "Idiot," he whispered never taking his eyes off of Naruto's still blue lips. "I'm worried."

Xxx

Naruto felt warmth and softness all around him and smiled. He turned his face to the side and smelled Sasuke, a mix of cinnamon and snow and, without thought, he burrowed deeper into the cozy warmth. He froze when he heard a soft chuckle.

He tried to move his arms but they tingled and felt heavy and confined. Finally, he was forced to blink open his tired eyes and try to locate the source of the sound. His eyes slowly adjusted to the darkness and he looked around to see he was in a room he'd never seen before. Large, wooden furniture and gold framed paintings covered the walls. Moving his head slowly, Naruto turned and saw he wasn't alone in the bed.

"Sasuke," he whispered hoarsely and his dark haired friend chuckled again.

"Idiot." Sasuke's fingers came up and moved over his face, pushing blond strands of hair off of his forehead. "How do you feel?" he whispered and Naruto's face furrowed in confusion.

Taking a few moments, Naruto tried to move. "My hands hurt," he said, "And I'm so tired."

Sasuke nodded as though that all made perfect sense to him. "Are you cold?"

Naruto's eyes widened. "Yes… I mean, no… but I was. I was sooo c-cold." As if talking about it brought back the feeling, Naruto's small frame began to shake.

Sasuke stood quickly and Naruto tried to call out for him not to leave, but the black-haired boy was back before he could. He spread a large, red blanket over Naruto, one of many Naruto noticed, and then crawled back into bed beside him.

"I knew you'd still be out there," Sasuke explained and went back to running his fingers through Naruto's hair. "I made Itachi and Kisame come with me to find you. You were…" Sasuke trailed off and his fingers curled into Naruto's hair until Naruto flinched. "I thought you were…" If possible Sasuke voice became even quieter. "Dead."

Naruto shook his head, as if trying to comfort Sasuke. "You were freezing, barely breathing, and your fingers were burnt. Idiot, what were you doing?"

"Trying to stay warm and I…"

Sasuke leaned forward and pressed a quick kiss to his forehead. "I promise you'll never be cold again." Naruto's eyes widened at the promise… a promise he'd already heard that night but Sasuke continued. "You are mine now. I told Itachi and Kisame after the doctor said you'd be all right. No one else took care of you but now, you are mine and I will. I'm going to keep you forever. Do you understand, Naruto?"

Naruto nodded slowly, angry when his eyes refused to stay open, but as he drifted to sleep he smiled and whispered, "There is no one more precious to me than you."

Sasuke's fingers brushed over his cheek. "Merry Christmas, Naruto."


	3. For MasterofRebels

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto and Co. and therefore I do not make money from playing with them like they are my own personal and rather naughty action figures.

Summary: Christmas traditions are about being with the one you love. Sasuke and Naruto explore a couple of those options.

Author's Note: So, someone told me that drabbles are traditionally less than a 1000 words. Who knew? Obviously, I'm not good at that, but these are drabbles for me… so there you have it.

This Christmas drabble is for Master of Rebels (aka Wolfgirl37). My beta, my mum in a wonderful family that she presides over, and someone I can't think about without wanted to tackleglomp her to the floor and snuggle her until the end of time.

Merry Christmas, Mum!!! ilu… soooo much!

Special thanks to DarkAlbino for her awesome betaing skillz.

Warning: Sex. And gingerbread. And stripped socks. Be afraid. Be very afraid. And, don't read if the socks bother your moral sensibilities. You have been warned.

**Christmas Drabble #3**

**To: MasterofRebels aka Wolfgirl37**

**From: Me!**

Sasuke Uchiha, elite ANBU of Konoha, leaned against the dark marble counter and stared with narrowed eyes across the kitchen. Never taking his eyes off his 'target', he lifted a pale hand and pulled his forehead protector off, tossing the fabric and metal onto the counter. His pale fingers wrapped around a sweating, green bottle of beer that he lifted and drank deeply from.

Still holding the bottle in his hand, he motioned to the moron sitting across from him at the kitchen table. Naruto Uzumaki, next in line for Hokage, fellow ANBU, and sexy ass lover, grinned back at him, raising his own bottle in cheeky salute. He wore a white t-shirt that hugged his muscled chest and red, reindeer patterned sleep pants. Sasuke's eyes continued further down and closed in quiet disgust when he saw Naruto's toes wiggle in what looked like candy cane socks.

"No," he said and opened his eyes. As expected, Naruto's pink lips immediately pulled into a pout and he slammed his bottle on the wooden table. _Unpredictable, my ass_, Sasuke thought, and sat his bottle down before gripping the edge of the marble with both hands.

"Do you remember when Kakashi was trapped in Zabuza's water jutsu and we were standing in that fucking mist pissing ourselves?" he asked sharply.

Naruto nodded his head and crossed an ankle over his knee, leaning back in his chair.

"How about the time when Orochimaru was stalking us in the Forest of Death with his freaky ass tongue and, for a moment, the only thing standing between us and certain doom was Lee?"

Naruto scratched his cheek. "Yeah."

"Okay, when Madara went bat shit crazy and…"

"Uncle Maddie… good times," Naruto interrupted and his foot slipped to the floor. "As much as I'm enjoying this reminder of our greatest hits, I'm wondering about the point." He leaned forward until his elbows rested on his knees and his hands hung between his legs. The tips of his hair were still wet from his shower and made his normally chaotic hair fall heavy around his face and neck. Sasuke would never say it out loud, but the color reminded him of warm honey and he had to bite his tongue to stop himself from licking his lips.

Sasuke shrugged, picking up his bottle once more and tilting it back. "All I'm saying is that we've done a lot of scary shit in our lives and somehow managed to survive…"

"Because of my greatness," Naruto slipped in with a wink.

"Despite your idiocy," Sasuke continued over him, "but _this_. No good will come from this."

Naruto stood angrily and ran his fingers through his hair. Without looking at Sasuke, he drained his bottle and crossed the kitchen in three long strides, before tossing the bottle in the trash.

"I don't ask a lot from you," Naruto said quietly and then turned on his heel, stalking toward Sasuke. "And I'm not asking you to fight S-class missing-nins, or psychotic family members that make most of the hidden villages fall on their knees and thank the gods that the last Uchiha is gay."

Naruto stopped in front of Sasuke and leaned into his body until his hands rested on the counter on either side of Sasuke's hips. "Sasuke," he growled and nudged Sasuke's jaw aside with his nose. Sasuke didn't budge and Naruto bit the edge of his jaw. Sasuke's fingers curled tighter over the marble but he didn't move. Naruto pulled back enough that he could see Sasuke's black eyes stare straight over his shoulder. He chuckled. As if the bastard could ignore him. Taking his hands off the counter, he wrapped his arms around Sasuke's waist and this time, when he nudged Sasuke's head aside, he pressed kisses over his jaw.

"Idiot," Sasuke breathed and pulled Naruto hard against him, shoving his knee between Naruto's legs and twisting them until he had the shorter man pinned against the counter. "The only person I want on his knees is you," he hissed and then surged forward, claiming Naruto's mouth in a fury of teeth and tongues. He languidly dragged moans and hisses from Naruto's mouth only to replace them with his own.

When Sasuke pulled back, Naruto tipped his head forward, following him and licking impishly at his bottom lip. "You had something there," he explained with a chuckle and then leaned back against the marble, his arms still wrapped around Sasuke and holding him in place. Naruto took a deep, fortifying breath and said, "It will be fun."

Sasuke's growl said, 'No, it won't'.

"It's something we can do together."

Sasuke's knee shifting and rubbing deliciously between Naruto's legs said, 'I can think of other things we can do together.'

Naruto sighed and then said, "It's a tradition."

Sasuke's fingers gripping his hips like living vises said, 'Because I could give a flying rat's ass about tradition.'

Naruto ducked his head before shoving Sasuke away from him and throwing his hands into the air. "Fine, fine…"

Sasuke's hand on his shoulder stopped Naruto from leaving the kitchen and he was pushed toward the table. Sasuke pressed into his back and rested his chin on Naruto's shoulder. "When this all falls down, like we both know it's going to, we will be exploring the other things we can do together. Agreed?"

Naruto _whooped_ loudly and twisted in Sasuke's arms. Grabbing his cheeks, Naruto yanked Sasuke's head down and kissed him soundly before turning back to the table.

Bowls of sprinkles and candies, dried fruits and marshmallows, and different colored frostings were spread out like a buffet. In the center sat an innocent red and white box with the words 'Gingerbread House Kit'.

"Let's get this party started!" Naruto hollered and yanked out a chair, twisting it around so that he could straddle the seat. He immediately began ripping into the box, humming some ridiculous Christmas carol.

Sasuke walked to the refrigerator and pulled out another green bottle. Popping it open, he walked back to the table and pulled out a chair. Naruto was already holding up two pieces of gingerbread, the tip of his tongue sticking out between his teeth.

"This will not end well," Sasuke said to himself and then leaned forward to grab the 'glue' when Naruto barked out, "Bastard! Glue! STAT!"

Xxx

"The. Fuck," Sasuke spat when the chimney fell off… again. Naruto's hand shot out to catch it and the roof collapsed in on itself, taking out three of the four side walls. One wall stood stubbornly, layers of sticky white frosting gumming up its edges.

Naruto didn't say anything and if Sasuke was any less of a kickass ANBU – not to mention Uchiha – he might have been very, very afraid. The blond had stopped talking after the third structural collapse of their project. When he wasn't actively holding up gingerbread pieces, his fingers curled into tight fists until his knuckles turned white. His shoulders got tenser and tenser with each failed attempt, until Sasuke could almost hear the blond's frustration boiling beneath the surface.

Taking a deep breath, and without looking at Sasuke, Naruto picked up the fallen walls, positioning them back into a square. Sasuke handed him the 'glue' without prompting… this wasn't his first time… and Naruto had three of the walls secure when the fourth spontaneously snapped into two.

"THE. FUCK!" Naruto yelled and shoved back from the table. Sasuke turned in his seat to see Naruto pacing the kitchen but didn't get up. "I didn't even touch it!" Naruto spat out, his blue eyes burning with frustration and anger.

Sasuke chuckled and Naruto froze, turning on Sasuke like a wild animal. "Is something funny, bastard?"

Sasuke shrugged and his smirk was painful to behold. "So… end score. Gingerbread house… one. Blond idiot… zero."

"Oh no," Naruto growled, shaking his head angrily and running his fingers through his hair. Sasuke had to look away when white frosting was left behind, reminding Sasuke of all those 'other things' they could be doing together. "This isn't over. I'm not done yet!"

Then Naruto was back at the table, glaring at his nemesis. After a moment, his arm snapped out sideways into Sasuke's chest with his hand held palm up. When Sasuke didn't react immediately, he growled low in his throat. Sasuke sighed and handed him more frosting. Naruto meticulously pieced the broken wall back together and carefully placed it against the rest of the standing frame.

The only wall that was left standing when he moved his fingers back was the one he'd just placed.

"Piece of shit!" Naruto slammed his fist on the table and the last wall fell in slow motion against the gobs of white frosting holding it in place. "I can create chakra seals with the precision of a fucking surgeon. I can set hairline traps without… wait."

Mid-drink, Sasuke was suddenly pinned under Naruto's sharp, blue gaze and he slowly brought the bottle down, licking his lips. "What?"

"Let me have your ANBU kit," Naruto said.

"Yeah… no," Sasuke returned and stretched out, crossing his legs at this ankles.

Naruto blinked. "Excuse me?"

"Get your own damn ANBU kit, idiot," Sasuke snapped.

Naruto was on him in a second, grabbing at his leg with one hand, while the other pinned his wrists against his chest painfully. Sasuke hissed and force his Sharingan down, knowing this wasn't a life and death situation and Naruto didn't mean to piss him the FUCK off. He bucked his hips and then stiffened when Naruto looked up at him. "Get. Off," he demanded coolly.

Naruto's hand slipped into the small green pouch strapped to his leg. Sasuke could feel the warmth of Naruto's fingers brush against his thigh and his breath hitched. And then Naruto was grinning, releasing his wrists, and sliding off his lap. Standing in front of Sasuke, Naruto tossed a spool of chakra string in the air and caught it. "Was that so hard?"

Without waiting for Sasuke's answer -which would have been scathing, 'damn it!'- Naruto turned and repositioned the walls carefully. Using the ninja precision he was so proud of, he infused the string with chakra and looped the nearly invisible threat over and around the brown cookies.

Stepping back, Naruto surveyed his work. Sasuke had to admit, it wasn't bad. The building was standing and seemed sound. "Hn," he said and then nudged Naruto in the side. "Decorate it so that we can be done."

"Hell yes," Naruto breathed and stepped over to the table. Gathering up a red gumdrop, Naruto dipped it into the left over white frosting and sat it gently on the roof.

The roof shifted, the left side sliding just enough to tilt the cookie cottage and the whole thing fell apart… expect for the broken wall that Naruto had mended so carefully.

"MOTHER FUCKER!!!!" Naruto yelled and, just for a second, his eyes flashed red.

Sasuke stepped back to the counter, mumbling under his breath, "And it all comes tumbling down."

Naruto slammed his fist over the standing wall, smashing it into cookie rubble, before taking his anger out on the fallen walls and the cute chimney. He destroyed the little gingerbread boy and threw the gingerbread girl across the kitchen in disgust. Sasuke would admit to a bit of satisfaction when she exploded against the wall. The little paper cups and their toppings were swept to the floor and through it all, Naruto cursed and damned gingerbread and its maker to the darkest circle of hell.

When the crumbles… um, dust settled, Sasuke pushed off from his place at the counter and walked up to stand next to Naruto. Together, they looked at the devastation that was Hurricane Naruto.

"So…" Sasuke drawled out. "Gingerbread house… two. Naruto…"

Whatever he was going to say was lost when he was lifted by his shirt and slammed onto the table, Naruto looming over him. "Naruto," the blond ninja said with a carefree voice totally belied by his steel blue eyes, "would like to talk about the 'other' activities now."

"Hn," Sasuke said and reached up, winding both hands into Naruto's thick hair. With a smirk, he tugged harshly until their lips met. Naruto sucked at his lower lip, nipping with his teeth and teasing with his tongue.

Naruto dipped his head and nudged Sasuke's head to the side until he was kissing over Sasuke's collarbone and worried the sensitive skin over his pulse point. Sasuke's hips lifted with a will of their own, grinding into Naruto, who pressed his hips down, straddling Sasuke with his knees and pinning him to the table.

Without lifting his head, Naruto's fingers worked the clasps of Sasuke's pants open and then slipped under his black shirt. His warm fingers splayed over his tightening abdomen and feathered over his ribs. Fingers tweaked his nipples, eliciting a lustful hiss, and then Sasuke's shirt was yanked over his head.

Sasuke felt gingerbread crumbs press into his back but, before he could complain, Naruto's body slid slowly down his chest, licking and nipping until he reached Sasuke's waist.

"Lift," Naruto purred and Sasuke pushed himself up on his elbows so he could see Naruto. Deep, blue eyes stared back and Sasuke shook his head.

"The table is a mess. I'll have gingerbread fucking everywhere."

Naruto's lashes fell against his cheeks like a man experiencing untold pleasure and he licked his pink lips. "I know, I can't wait to lick it all off."

Sasuke's cock jumped in his pants and, once more, his hips lifted without a conscious thought. Naruto didn't need more of an invitation and with a sharp tug, Sasuke's black cargo pants found a home on the candy laden kitchen floor.

Naruto stood at the end of the table and slowly pulled his white t-shirt up and over his head. Sasuke watched while the smooth tan skin of his abdomen and chest was revealed and then smiled when he looked up to see Naruto's hair sticking up in all directions around his face. "Your pants, now," he said but the low, gravely darkness of his voice made the demand clear.

Naruto's hands trailed down to his waist and one palm pressed into the tent over his cock. "Fuck, Sasuke," he gasped and his eyes slipped shut, his hips rocking slowly into his hand.

Not one to be ignored, Sasuke looked to his side and trailed a finger through a smear of frosting on the table. "Naruto," he whispered darkly and Naruto's eyes immediately snapped open. Sasuke held up his finger covered in white frosting and curled it in a 'come hither' motion. "Pants off and then, come here."

Sasuke smirked when Naruto nodded like he was in a trance and Sasuke couldn't help the fierce sense of power and arousal that he got every time he saw that look on Naruto's handsome face. A look no one would ever see but him. "Fuck," he moaned and Naruto crawled naked over the table until he was straddling Sasuke's hips.

Without a word, he grasped Sasuke's wrist and sucked the sugar coated finger into his mouth. Naruto's tongue wrapped around his finger, licking and sucking at the confection. With a soft pop, Naruto released Sasuke's finger and immediately claimed Sasuke's mouth.

Sasuke didn't enjoy sweets, even as a little boy, but tasting the sweetness mixed with a taste purely Naruto was like a guilty pleasure Sasuke was sure he'd never get enough off. Naruto broke the kiss, pulling back slightly before diving down once more and licking Sasuke's bottom lip. "You taste good," he spoke against Sasuke's mouth and then pulled back again.

Naruto shifted his body to the side and gripped one of Sasuke's thighs with his hand, nudging his legs apart. Settling himself between Sasuke's knees, Naruto moved a hand under his leg and forced Sasuke's knee to bend. Dipping his body, Naruto bit playfully at the sensitive skin to the side of Sasuke's knee and then trailed up his inner thigh, alternating between licks and nips.

Not able to reach Naruto, and unsure of what to do with his hands, Sasuke crossed his arms over his face and moaned deep at the feel of Naruto's golden hairs teasing the sensitive skin of his cock. Naruto worried the junction between Sasuke's leg and groin until Sasuke was seeing white behind his eyelids and a stream of unrecognizable noises slipped from his mouth.

His other leg bent and he shoved his heel into the table until he could buck up into Naruto, forcing his cock into Naruto's face, silently demanding that Naruto move along. With one, long lick up the underside of Sasuke's thigh, Naruto finally obeyed the request.

Sasuke gasped, pressing the heels of his palms into his eyes as his cock was wrapped in the sweet, hot wetness of Naruto's mouth. "Jesus, fuck…" he said and then shot up onto his hands when Naruto's tongue pressed harshly into the underside of his cock.

In his last lick of Sasuke's thigh, Naruto had collected the scattered gingerbread crumbs stuck to his sweaty skin. Now, those crumbs rubbed deliciously over his sensitive skin, just this shy of being painful, but before Sasuke could complain, the cookie melted and Naruto moaned like a wanton bitch around his cock.

"JESUS, FUCK!" Sasuke yelled.

Naruto's fingers gripped painfully into his hips, slamming them down with each of Sasuke's attempts to jerk up into Naruto's wicked, _wicked_ mouth. Naruto sucked him desperately, twirling his tongue around and around his cock and raping his slit with the tip of his tongue.

"Na-Naruto!" Sasuke warned, but it was far too late. White exploded in front of his eyes and, as his stomach tensed in his release, he leaned up just enough that his fingers could find purchase in Naruto's silky hair.

Naruto continued to milk him until Sasuke yanked painfully on his hair and dragged the whimpering blond up his body until their lips connected. If the taste of Naruto and frosting was delicious, the taste of Naruto, ginger, and his own essence was fucking addicting.

The kiss was harsh, almost punishing, and Sasuke wasn't surprised to find himself almost instantly hard, thrusting his hips into Naruto's own need.

"Sasuke," Naruto breathed and dropped his head onto Sasuke's shoulder. One of Sasuke's hands came up and his fingers threaded into the damp curls on the back of Naruto's neck. Sasuke sat up, taking Naruto with him and yanked his head to the side until he could suck a glaring bruise over Naruto's pulse point. Naruto's fingers curled around his arm and his breathing became erratic to Sasuke's ears.

"Get my ANBU kit," he hissed into Naruto's ear as he bit and tugged at his earlobe.

Naruto stilled for a moment before chuckling breathlessly. "Now you have no problem with me touching…"

"Idiot," Sasuke snapped and wrapped his arms around Naruto's lower back. Without warning, he laid back on the table, Naruto sprawled over him as his fingers slid over Naruto's ass and pressed firmly against his hole.

"Oh," Naruto sighed and his hips rolled, pressing down into Sasuke's aching cock and then up into his questing finger.

The tip of Sasuke's finger pressed against the hot, wrinkled skin of Naruto's hole before slipping tightly inside. A needy gasp echoed in Sasuke's ears but he couldn't be sure if it was Naruto's or his own. "Get. The. Kit. Now!" he order and then released Naruto, his hands gripping the edges of the table while Naruto slid off of him.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck," Naruto mumbled, hopping around to avoid the sticky candies and crumbs that littered the floor. Finding Sasuke's pants, he dug frantically in the bag and came away with lube. "Is this standard issue, Captain?" Naruto asked and Sasuke rolled onto his side and smirked.

"Well, it's gotten me into… I mean, out of a few_tight_ situations."

Naruto blinked and then shook his head. "Fucking perv."

Sasuke laughed out loud, the sound carefree and light and, for just a moment, he felt tears prickle at the back of his eyes from the pure _joy_ of having Naruto. All sappy thoughts… well, _all_ thought in general stopped when Naruto was on the table, once more straddling his thighs.

"I sure as hell better be the only damn person who has put you in these tight situations, Uchiha."

"Fuck, yes," Sasuke muttered distractedly because Naruto's hips had started rolling gently and his red, angry cock was leaking precum onto his stomach. "God, please," he said and let his head drop back onto the table.

Naruto leaned down, trapping both their cocks between their bodies and whispered into Sasuke's ear, "Do you know how much it turns me on to know that I am the only person you ask 'please'?" Sasuke's eyes widened and his arms wrapped around Naruto's back, holding him close, as Naruto sucked gently on the special spot just below his ear. He could feel the beat of Naruto's heart against his chest and his shallow gasps for air against his ear. His hips began to rock rhythmically off the table and he hardly registered the snap of the lube bottle until Naruto's warm fingers wrapped around his cock.

"Oh god, oh fuck," he panted and then Naruto was aligning himself over Sasuke's cock and sliding down his shaft with excruciating slowness. "Naru-to" he moaned, black lashes falling against his cheeks.

When he was seated balls deep over Sasuke, Naruto laid down on his chest until their foreheads touched. "Goddamn, Sasuke," Naruto breathed. He placed his hands palm down on either side of Sasuke's shoulders before lifting his hips until Sasuke's felt the muscles in Naruto's ass tighten impossibly, as if scared Sasuke might slip out. Just as the head of his cock caught on the tight ring, Naruto thrust himself back down, stealing both of their breaths. Naruto repeated the action again and again. Soft, sinfully sexy noises spilled from the blond's mouth, ghosting over Sasuke's mind, and feeding his arousal with each needy gasp.

Sasuke's fingers slid over Naruto's hips and thighs, squeezing his tight ass hard enough to leave bruises. He bit his lower lip to keep himself from thrusting up, wanting this feeling to last and last, without him rushing it along like his instincts were screaming for him to do.

Naruto's beautiful blue eyes were closed and a single bead of sweat trailed from his temple and behind his neck. Sasuke reached up with his hand, wrapping his warm fingers around the side of Naruto's jaw and running his thumb over Naruto's bottom lip. Naruto's tongue darted out and licked at its pad before catching it in his teeth.

Naruto's hips slid down with agonizing slowness, his muscles squeezing Sasuke until he had to remind himself to breathe through the intense pleasure. Finally, Naruto opened his eyes and Sasuke bucked up in reaction to the lust filled blue eyes, dilated to nearly black with need and want and… Naruto moaned and his hands shifted to Sasuke's chest, clawing at the pale, sweaty skin.

"I love you, Sasuke," Naruto whispered against his thumb and pressed a gentle kiss to it. "I need you so fucking bad. Come on… come on…" Such simple words but Sasuke felt them like electricity racing down his spine and pooling liquid hot in his abdomen.

Sasuke bent his knees, biting his lip when Naruto shifted above him, until his feet rested flat on the table. He absently felt the grittiness of the annihilated gingerbread house against his skin and smiled softly at the memory of how _this_ had begun.

"Fuck, Sasuke," Naruto whispered, awe ringing in his voice, and leaned forward, cupping Sasuke's face in his hands and tasting his smile against his lips. "Please."

Sasuke blindly reached for Naruto's hips and pulled him up until he was suspended over him, gasping for breath, but still licking and biting at his lips. He yanked his head to the side and looked up at Naruto's cloudy eyes. "Ready?" he asked and arched his neck back, moaning darkly, when instead of answering with words, Naruto's ass squeezed eagerly around him.

Naruto growled low in his throat but it was mixed with the sweetest of whimpers. "Yes, yes, yes…"

Intense black eyes met crystal blue and without a word, Sasuke arched up and thrust into Naruto's tight heat even as Naruto slammed his hips down, pulling Sasuke in deeper and harder.

"Fuck!" Sasuke yelled and continued to thrust upwards at a nearly brutal pace. His fingers bit into Naruto's straining thighs and left crescent shaped indentions on sweat dampened tan skin.

Naruto's lithe neck was thrown back and Sasuke's hand reached up, tracing the curve of his neck before trailing down over his collarbone and chest. His fingers teased Naruto's nipples, in turn, and then slid lower over the sparse brushing of golden hairs that lead straight to his red, aching…

"Ahhhh," Naruto groaned, slamming down so hard that Sasuke felt his tailbone scream in protest and knew he'd walk away from this with a glaring bruise. Sasuke's grip tightened around Naruto's cock, stroking up and down, squeezing and twisting his palm, until Naruto shuddered above him.

Naruto's palms smacked loudly against the table on either side of Sasuke's head but Sasuke hardly noticed. Not with Naruto's face twisted in nearly sublime ecstasy, his blond lashes fluttering, and his lips moving in silent pleas that could only be, now and forever, Sasuke's name.

His cock jerked again and again in Sasuke's hand and white cum covered both of their panting chests. Sasuke's fingers curled into Naruto's thighs hard enough that Naruto's blue eyes snapped open in time to see Sasuke Uchiha come completely undone.

"Naruto!" Sasuke gasped, bucking harder and harder, nearly frantically as his orgasm ripped through his body, blinding him to everything but Naruto's stormy blue eyes and soft, honey colored hair. One of his feet slipped over the table and Sasuke cried out, but Naruto took up the slack, lifting and slamming himself down, fast and hard, letting Sasuke ride out his orgasm.

With the tingles of pleasure still pulsing in his body, Sasuke curled his fingers into the damp locks of hair curling at Naruto's nape and dragged the blond forward, shoving his tongue into Naruto's mouth, and letting him taste the last fleeting whimpers and whines of his release.

"Naruto," he said again, nuzzling into the blond locks of hair at Naruto's temple.

"Yeah," Naruto said and kissed Sasuke's neck before moving slowly and sliding off the table. Sasuke laid there, head turned to the side, watching while Naruto lifted his strong arms over his head and stretched, arching his back.

Sasuke carefully pressed his hands against the table and pushed himself up to sitting. He glanced up and froze at the Cheshire cat-like grin on Naruto's face.

"What?" he said slowly and Naruto sided up to the table and wrapped his fingers around Sasuke's wrist. Never taking his blue eyes off of Sasuke's face, he lifted Sasuke's hand, still wet with Naruto's cum, and brought it to his mouth. He licked at his finger like a kitten, and Sasuke smirked when he saw all the gingerbread crumbs covering his fingers.

Naruto hummed low in his throat and Sasuke cupped the side of his face. "Fuck, Naruto," he began. "You're so goddamn sexy and you're mine. _Mine_," he repeated with a growl and kissed Naruto softly, sweetly but with an underlying desperation to mark and own and brand. "You… take my breath away."

Naruto chuckled, squeezing Sasuke's fingers in his own, and pulled away. "Sasuke, you could just say you love me." He pulled Sasuke off the table with the most beautiful smile on his face and Sasuke wasn't sure he could say _anything_.

Naruto looked around the kitchen, covered with crumbs and candies and frosting and sighed. With a flurry of hand movement, three Naruto's stood in front of him, brooms, mops and dustpans in each of their hands.

A choking sound at his side made Naruto turn and grin wildly. "Problem, Uchiha?"

Sasuke's mouth gaped before he snapped it shut. "Seriously?"

Naruto's grin curled his eyes into inverted U's and he looked back at his clones. His _naked_ clones wearing nothing but Santa hats and candy cane striped socks.

"I really like those socks," Naruto explained and walked past Sasuke on his way to the bathroom. Sasuke watched his tan back and tight ass move and closed his eyes when he saw that _his_ Naruto still wore those damn socks as well.

Naruto twisted in the doorway of the bathroom, his back muscles rippling and his blue eyes flashing. "Coming?" he purred and Sasuke smirked.

The socks were growing on him.


	4. For The Cereal Killer

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto and Co. and therefore, I do not make money from playing with them like they are my own personal and rather naughty action figures.

Summary: Naruto refused to look at his watch as he limped down the snow covered sidewalk, the cut on his cheek stinging, and his body shivering from the cold. All he could think of was the look on Sasuke's face when he said, "I won't wait."

Author's Note: To the darling and talented 'The Cereal Killer'. I got the honor of being her Super Special Secret Santa! I adore you!

**Reservations at Chouji's**

**To: CerealKiller aka Cereal**

**From: Me!**

Naruto Uzumaki, youngest Head Editor in the history of Konoha Daily News, looked at the clock on his desk with huge and disbelieving blue eyes.

"Holy shit," he whispered and stood so quickly that his chair tipped over, tripping him up as he yanked out his desk drawer, pulling out his wallet. He slammed his hands over his chest pockets and then his pants pockets until he located his Blackberry and stumbled over his damn chair, _again_, before finally reaching the coat stand next to the door.

He shoved his arms into his long, brown trench coat and ran his hands anxiously through his blond hair while scanning his office. He glanced out the window on his door to see the brightly lit news room buzzing with activity. Writers, editors, runners, and assistants scurried around the desks and cabinets, checking facts and preparing for tomorrow's run. Naruto took a deep, steadying breath, steeled his fortitude, and opened the door.

"Uzumaki!"

"Boss! You need to look at this."

"Naruto, I have a question!"

"There's a call on line…"

For one second, Naruto stood like a deer caught in the headlights and then, like a three year old who thought if he didn't hear it, it wouldn't affect him, he slammed his hands over his ears and began walking to the elevator.

A stern hand fell on his shoulder and he shrugged it off. "I can't hear you. I'm not here," he said and picked up his pace. He looked up and dodged an angry, pink-haired woman, her hands on her hips, and started to run. "I have to go!" he explained and sprinted the last twenty feet to the elevators. He jumped over two trash cans, sent a basket full of papers to the floor, and knocked an intern into a cache of metal cabinets. "Shit, I'm sorry!"

Once he reached the elevator, he turned and pressed frantically at the button, and looked up to see the room in a standstill, hundreds of angry and/or amused eyes staring back at him. "I'm not here!" he yelled once more and the doors slid shut.

The elevator doors opened into the lobby and Naruto was sprinting across the marble floors before they could ding, signaling their arrival. He pushed out of the newspaper's double doors and caught his breath when the cool air hit his face. "Damn," he whispered and pulled his coat closed before taking the series of steps two at a time until he reached the sidewalk.

He had arrived at the office this morning at nine and, apparently, the snow that had been falling hadn't stopped. A good six inches of new snow blanketed the sidewalk and covered the trees and buildings. It was beautiful but Naruto barely gave it a thought as he walked quickly towards the underground subway entrance.

Dusk fell over the city and Christmas lights glowed in the night air. People dressed in scarves and mittens, over their holiday best, hailed cabs and huddled close together against the cold weather. Christmas carols drifted all around and mixed with the laughter and chatter of the city celebrating Christmas Eve.

Naruto glanced at his watch and once more picked up his pace, skipping down the subway steps, and sliding through the closing subways doors just before they shut.

He sat tiredly on the hard, orange seats and looked around. The car was surprisingly empty, holding just him and a young couple toward the back. They were completely wrapped into and around each other and Naruto seriously doubted they even recognized that the train had stopped, much less that they were no longer alone.

With a deep sigh, Naruto closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the glass. He felt the vibrations of the train rock him gently and he relaxed for the first time since this morning…

"Fuck," he whispered out loud and, without opening his eyes, rubbed his hands over his face and then up into his hair.

This morning he'd somehow managed to piss his prissy-assed bastard off. His hands fell and fisted at his sides. And, although he wanted to be angry, pissed off at Sasuke for making him feel this… whatever, the bastard had been different. Their fights were epic in their anger and name calling and, yes, the occasional physical confrontation, but, today… Sasuke had been quiet. Disappointed.

Naruto swallowed and squeezed his eyes so tightly stars formed behind his lids. Naruto couldn't handle disappointment… not from Sasuke, and it all started with a ringing of his damn phone.

Naruto and Sasuke shared a large loft apartment on the lower Westside. Rent was cheap, not that either of them cared about the cost, but Sasuke needed the space and Naruto needed Sasuke, so it all worked out.

The loft's decorating scheme consisted of white sheets and canvases of every size imaginable. Smears of paint tainted the pristine white and scuffed the wooden floor. Huge, glass windows let in natural light during the day and when night fell, all the lamps in the loft were turned on until Naruto was sure that from the street, their loft resembled a lighthouse in a sea of brick and cement.

Sasuke Uchiha was an up and coming artist. His art shows were the talk of the town and his paintings were coveted among anyone with any taste in art whatsoever. Early in his career, speculation about Sasuke being nothing more than the bored, second son of the almighty Uchihas had played on the mind of many in the art world. It wasn't long, though, before even the harshest critic was left slack-jawed at the pure, natural talent of the moody dark-haired young man.

Buttoning his light blue shirt, Naruto stepped from behind the partition separating their 'bedroom' for the rest of the loft. He looked up and smiled when he saw Sasuke sitting in front of a large canvas. Colors blended over the surface of the white canvas like magic, swirling together, and coming to life right before his eyes.

Naruto stood with his hands in his pockets and watched Sasuke run his thumb over the painting, smearing something just enough, and then rub his finger on his t-shirt. Two paintbrushes were held in his long fingers and he stuck his thumb in his mouth, tilting his head slightly to the side.

Naruto couldn't stop the smile that came to his face and he walked over to Sasuke, gently resting his hands on his shoulders. Sasuke turned his head around and up and Naruto swooped down, tasting the traces of paint on Sasuke's lips. "Hey," he whispered and Sasuke pulled away just enough to see how Naruto was dressed.

"Naruto," he growled.

"Sasuke," Naruto said with a sigh. "It was Sakura on the phone…"

"Of course it was," Sasuke bit out and turned back toward his painting. Naruto stepped away and dropped into a chair, resting his elbows on his knees.

"Don't be like that," Naruto began and Sasuke's shoulders tensed before he turned and squeeze a liberal amount of ink black paint onto his paint palette. Naruto looked at the once happy painting and felt a pang of remorse as Sasuke angrily mixed the black into the once bright colors.

"Did you tell her that you are on vacation?" Sasuke asked without turning around. His hand swiped down the canvas like a man wielding a knife.

Naruto's jaw clinched.

"No," Sasuke continued. "You don't even have to answer. Obviously, you didn't."

Forcing himself to relax, Naruto stretched his jaw and tried to smile. "No, I didn't. I'm the Head Editor. It's my job to…"

"You promised." Another angry slash and Naruto swore he felt it in his chest.

"I know," he said, "but it's just for a couple of hours, until we get things back on schedule, and then I'm all yours. We have dinner tonight at Chouji's, remember?"

Sasuke finally turned and looked at him. There was a smear of blue paint at the corner of his mouth and Naruto longed to lean forward and clean it away with the pad of his thumb. Fuck, he wanted to be here. He loved watching Sasuke paint but, he earned this job… it was his and he was proud of it, like Sasuke was of his paintings.

"Yes, idiot, I remember. I also remember the last two times we had reservations…"

Naruto stood angrily. "You never let anything go. So this is about punishing me for a couple of accidents? Time got away from me!"

Sasuke calmly sat his brushes and palette on the crate beside his easel and ran his fingers through his hair. "For a moron who mumbles about deadlines in his fucking sleep, 'time getting away from you' seems ridiculous, don't you think?"

Naruto growled low in his throat but Sasuke didn't react at all, just stared at him with deep, black eyes. "I apologized and explained myself," he said angrily and then took a deep breath. "They need me, Sasuke. I'll be home in plenty of time for dinner. You know I want to be with you, dammit!" he bit out.

"They take advantage of you," Sasuke said and Naruto cut his arm across the air as if he were physically cutting off Sasuke's words.

"No, they don't, and even if they did, who the fuck cares? So someone finally needs me. Is that so wrong?"

Sasuke recoiled like Naruto had hit him, standing and knocking his chair back. "Fuck you, Uzumaki."

"No," Naruto said, the blood draining from his face. Speaking quickly, like the hounds of hell were nipping at his words, he said, "That's not what I meant. I love you. You know that. You KNOW that. I need you and you need me and I love…"

Sasuke shook his head. "Why?"

Naruto blinked, his mouth snapping open and shut. "What? Why? I've been with you for five years, asshole. I fucking sleep with you…"

Sasuke stared at him for such a long time Naruto felt his nails bite into the skin on his palms in his effort not to fidget. Finally, Sasuke bowed his head and his black bangs fell into his eyes. "Just go."

"Sasuke, don't… please…" Naruto said and then shut his mouth so hard his teeth clicked painfully. Stupid bastard… this was not his fault. Why the hell was HE the one begging?

Sasuke looked up again and his black eyes were harsh and cold in a way Naruto hadn't seen directed at him… ever. "I'll be at Chouji's at seven."

"Didn't you hear me? I'll be home before…"

Sasuke's glare cut him off. "I'll be there at seven. If you aren't there…" For just a fraction of a second, Naruto thought Sasuke might crack, but then his eyes flashed and once more there was nothing on his handsome face. "I won't wait, Naruto."

The finality of the statement felt like a blow to his chest, implying so much more than leaving a restaurant, and Naruto shook his head.

"Bastard," Naruto said, but his voice was soft, scared… even to his own ears. "I…"

The shrill ringing of his Blackberry echoed through the loft and Sasuke pushed by Naruto, knocking him harshly in the shoulder. "You'll make sure to wish Sakura a Merry Fucking Christmas from me."

The bathroom door shut with a quiet click and Naruto answered his phone. "Yeah, Sakura, I'm on the way…"

A loud buzzing rang in his ears and Naruto opened his eyes, surprised to find that he had fallen asleep on the train. He looked down at his watch and saw it was six-thirty. Still plenty of time.

Sasuke had been right, of course, and time had gotten away from him. Even when Naruto noticed that if he wanted to make it home before dinner, he would need to leave, he'd chosen to stay. Part of him stayed because he knew Sasuke was right. Everyone knew Naruto was the newspaper's golden boy, that he'd do anything to see it succeed, and they used that to keep Naruto there all hours of the day and night. And now, he didn't want to deal with the smug bastard.

The other part of him stayed because of that look on Sasuke's face. Sasuke wanted to leave him. Would leave him. He'd asked Naruto why he loved him and Naruto, a fucking journalist, gave him 'I sleep with you' as an answer. He deserved to get left. He couldn't imagine going home early because what if… what if Sasuke wasn't there?

"Next stop… 53rd Street and Main."

Naruto sat up in his seat, preparing to exit the train, and then the words registered in his head. "Wait! WHAT?"

He'd missed his stop! He'd slept through his goddamn stop! He stood and ran his hands through his hair. The train jerked to a stop and the doors slid open. Hordes of people pushed and shoved onto the car and Naruto struggled to get around them. "Hey, I have to get off! Excuse me. Excuse me, please!"

"The doors will shut in five, four, three…"

Naruto elbowed and shoved. "Sorry." "My bad." "DAMMIT! MOVE!" Until he broke free just as the door closed.

"Okay, Uzumaki," he mumbled to himself and ran his fingers through his hair. Half an hour… he still had time if… "Think, think… waaaaaaa."

The loud beeping, signally the train was moving, echoed in the tiled underground tunnel and Naruto found himself being yanked alongside. He twisted around and saw that the tail of his coat was stuck between the doors. "Hey, whoa, wait!" He yanked and tugged and the train gathered speed. He ran sideways, trying to free himself and then turned when someone yelled 'WALL!"

A glance to his left showed that he was about to be slammed against the wall as the train disappeared into the tunnel. He pulled at his coat, yanking his arms, trying to unbutton the coat before finally grabbing the front and ripping the coat apart.

Buttons scattered, Naruto pulled his arms free before falling to the ground, and his coat made a zipping sound as it slapped against the wall and disappeared with the train.

"Holy, fucking, shit…" he gasped, dropping his forehead to the dirty floor as the adrenaline rushing through his system made him shake.

"Um, mister, are you alright?"

Naruto lifted his head just enough to look at his watch. "Oh god," he said and then scrambled to his feet. His face must have shown his sheer panic because the young man bending over him jumped back in his fright. "I'm fine. Sorry. I just, I have to…"

Without another word, Naruto sprinted toward the stairs, taking them two and three at a time, until he burst out for the tunnel. The wind had picked up and cut through his pathetic work shirt, immediately sending a shiver down his spine. He looked around frantically, noting that the sky was now an ink black, dotted with pinpricks of starry light, and host to a large full moon.

People walked along the sidewalk and Naruto blended in between them until he worked his way to the edge. He thrust out his arm, waving it wildly, hoping to catch the attention of one of the many yellow cabs that slowly drove over the slush and snow quickly accumulating in the streets.

Finally, a cab with Christmas lights blinking merrily in the rear window pulled up beside him. He yanked open the door and settled into the worn, black seat. "Um," he said, looking at his watch, again. Six-forty, it read. "Chouji's, please."

When the cabbie didn't respond and the cab didn't move, he looked up. At first he was distracted by the man's pale skin and midnight black hair. A flash of familiar happiness was smashed down when he noticed the huge and horribly fake smile pulling at the man's mouth. Sasuke would never smile like that. "I said…"

"I heard you," the man said flatly, totally contradicting the painful smile on his face. "I'm just shocked at hearing the dickless man speak." Naruto gapped and his attention was drawn to the rear view mirror where a three inch replica of a dick swung innocently alongside a fresh sprig of mistletoe.

"You're shitting me," Naruto mumbled and the cabbie turned around, shoving the car into gear, and pulled into traffic.

Naruto scooted closer to the door, never taking his eyes from the back of the cab driver's head. Out of the corner of his eye, he read the cab driver's certificate on the dash… the driver's name was Sai. Naruto had seen this movie and it ended with him raped and dead on the side of the road by a psychotic cab driver named Sai…

"Certainly you aren't thinking about jumping out the car, are you, dickless? At this speed, the chance of serious injury is high and then there's the annoyance of being run over by the twenty cars behind us."

Naruto's hand fell back into his lap and Sai smirked at him in the mirror before looking over his shoulder and changing lanes. "So, do you take it or give it? And if you give it… does the other asshole even feel it?"

"What the fuck?!" Naruto yelled. "Who the fuck are you??"

The cabbie shrugged and made a left turn. Naruto eyed the street names and leaned forward. "Look, asshole, it's none of your business and where the hell are you going. Chouji's is off 35th Street."

Sai didn't respond and made yet another turn. The snow fell even thicker and Naruto forced himself to watch it instead of the steadily swinging penis in the window. A glance at his watch showed the time to be six-fifty. "Listen, Sai," Naruto said slowly, forcing his voice to be pleasant… he refused to acknowledge the hint of panic. "I have to get to Chouji's…"

"Hot date," the cabbie snorted. "Who would want a dickless wonder such as your…"

Naruto glared at Sai and then turned to look out the window, to prevent himself from throttling the idiot, when brake lights glowed in the distance. "Sai!" he yelled and with the screech of brakes, he was thrown over the seat. His hands slammed into the dash and the swinging penis slapped him repeatedly in the forehead.

"Ahh…" the driver drawled with an amused chuckle. "It's like coming home, isn't it, dickless?"

Naruto shifted into the back seat and rubbed his forehead. "Fuck you."

Sai leaned back in his seat, smile covering his face, and motioned toward the outside with the jerk of his head. "Not right now. I hope you have time before your little one-off because we aren't going anywhere."

Naruto saw emergency lights and said a silent prayer before flinging money at Sai. "God dammit, where are we?"

Sai relayed the directions. Naruto used all the restraint he'd ever had, or considered having, by not punching the smiling ass in the face, and then jumped out of the cab. He shoved money through the window and turned into the wind, ignoring Sai's call of, 'no tip???'

The snow fell heavily from the sky and the wind whipped flakes over and around him, tussling his hair, and stealing away any warmth his body tried in vain to create. He hurried up onto the curb and began walking swiftly down the slush covered sidewalk.

He past the accident holding up all the traffic to see that no one was seriously injured. In fact, the drivers yelled at each other over the hoods of their bent and broken cars. Three police cars were on the scene but only one officer stood outside in the weather monitoring the tow truck, holiday traffic, and the two potentially volatile drivers.

"Merry Christmas to all," Naruto mumbled to himself over the horns of the many, many waiting cars.

With his hands shoved deep into his pockets, Naruto studiously refused to look at his watch. Panic clawed viciously inside his chest, squeezing his lungs and heart in a vise-like grip. He bit his lower lip harshly to keep the scream of fear and frustration inside. He didn't need to see his watch to know he was late. He couldn't –wouldn't- think about what that might mean. Sasuke had been more than clear…

His thoughts were derailed when he was gripped forcefully by his shirt collar and yanked violently into a dark alleyway off the sidewalk. The thick smell of decaying food and garbage filled his senses and nearly made him gag.

"What the…"

He was slammed against the side of a building, his face and chest pressed against the cold, biting brick. He felt the skin of his cheek rip over the dirty, jagged texture and flinched when something jabbed harshly into his lower back.

"Hands up, asshole," a voice hissed.

Naruto slowly lifted his hands and planted them flat next to his head. An arm pressed into the back of his neck and Naruto gasped, cursing, as his face burned from the abuse. Warm trickles of blood trailed down his cheek and dripped off his chin.

"Wallet in your pocket, then?"

He nodded and his eyes immediately closed against the pain of the movement. Biting his lip once more, he opened his eyes and saw that when he had lifted his arms, his sleeve had slid down, revealing his watch.

Seven-ten.

'_I won't wait,'_ Sasuke had said and his cool black eyes never left Naruto's, insuring that the seriousness of the statement wasn't lost. For a man who had issues with effective communication, Naruto knew he'd never forget Sasuke's simple words, he'd never forget their silent meaning, and he'd never forget this sinking feeling… especially since they might be the last words Sasuke ever said to him.

Suddenly, the cold chill that ran through Naruto's body had nothing to do with the snow or being pressed against the cool brick of a disgusting alleyway. The all encompassing dread that pulled at his heart had nothing to do with the weapon held against his spine or the fact that he just might die.

Who the fuck cared when his life, the only part that really mattered, might already be over? Sasuke wasn't going to wait and he'd leave thinking Naruto chose his stupid job over him.

"Sasuke," he whispered, his fingers curling into tight fists, and his mugger froze. Naruto didn't understand, nor did he care why, and used the moment of indecision to push off from the wall. He twisted in the mugger's grip and grasped his wrist, yanking it up and over his head while his free hand found the mugger's throat and turned, shoving him into the wall.

"You stupid mother fucker," he bit out, pressing his arm into the mugger's neck, happy to return the favor, while he looked up to see what weapon the man was holding. "What the hell… a spatula? You're holding people up with a spa…"

His eyes moved down to confront the stupidest criminal on the face of the planet and his jaw dropped to the ground. The mugger shifted nervously, working to swallow past Naruto's arm against his throat, and he smiled. "Um, hey, boss."

"Konohamaru?!" Naruto bellowed. "What the FUCK!"

The brown-eyed young man flinched back from his anger and the spatula slipped from his fingers, making hardly any sound at all as it sunk into the snow.

"I didn't know it was you! I swear, I didn't know!"

Naruto gapped once more, releasing Konohamaru, and immediately ran his fingers through his hair. "It doesn't matter! Why are you mugging people? My god, what would your grandfather think? Your uncle? They are both goddamn cops!"

"Don't tell, man, please, don't tell!" Konohamaru was gripping his shirt. "I'm sorry. I won't do it again. I was just playing around. Some kids dared me and I needed the money…"

Naruto shook his head and ignored the sting radiating from his cheek and causing a headache to build dangerously behind his eyes. "Get out of here," he said softly but, if anything, Konohamaru's eyes got wider with fear. Konohamaru backed pulled out of Naruto's grasp and moved to leave. "I'm sorry…"

"Dammit," Naruto bit out and grabbed his arm. Pulling him closer with one hand, his other yanked his wallet out of his pocket and he handed him all the cash he had. "After the New Year," he said over Konohamaru's undistinguishable mutters of awe, "I'm letting your grandfather know that you volunteered for a paper run."

"I… okay, yeah. Thank you, Naruto. Thanks."

Konohamaru turned tail and ran, leaving Naruto alone in the poorly lit alley. Fisting his fingers so that he wouldn't see them shake, Naruto looked at his watch.

And then, he ran.

At seven thirty-two, Naruto was one block from the restaurant, breathing heavily, and still freezing his ass off. The pedestrian crossing light blinked and Naruto stepped off the curve to cross the slushy intersection, only to yelp when his ankle twisted painfully in a pothole hidden by an ice-covered puddle.

With a noticeable limp and his lower lip clamped harshly between his teeth, Naruto made it to the other side. He could see the swinging sign hanging from the stoop of Chouji's restaurant, illuminated by the soft light shining through the large windows. He took one step and was doused in ice-cold water from head to foot. He gasped for air, the water stealing his breath and running in torrents from his head to his feet.

"G-God da-dam-m-mit," he stuttered and looked back at the road long enough to see a taxi cab disappear around the next corner, a cheery penis waving from the rearview mirror.

There just wasn't time to dwell on the irony of the whole fucking night and Naruto limped down the block.

"Be there, be there, bastard, please, please, please, be there," he whispered.

At seven-forty, he was within ten feet of the restaurant when the door pushed open from the inside with a cheery ringing of a bell. A man in a black, wool coat with a thick black and blue scarf stepped into the night air. Without looking in Naruto's direction, he descended the three cobblestone steps and turned the opposite way. His black hair moved in the gentle breeze but couldn't hide a hairstyle Naruto would recognize anywhere.

"Oh god," Naruto whispered and then raising his voice said, "Sasuke! Wait!"

Sasuke stopped, but didn't turn around. "Naruto," his voice was dangerously flat and carried back to Naruto on the wind. "I am staying at Itachi's. I'll be by to remove my…"

Naruto took a step forward and watched Sasuke's body tense like a threatened animal, poised in limbo between fight or flight. Naruto stopped and lifted his head. "I can answer the question now."

Sasuke's head fell forward, like he was steeling himself for something unpleasant. "I don't care."

"I love you for so many reasons and it wouldn't matter if I never slept with you again, or somehow forgot ever knowing you and just met you today, I'd still love you. Please, Sasuke…"

Sasuke ran the fingers of one hand through his hair. He didn't turn around and he didn't speak, but he didn't walk away either, and so, Naruto continued.

"I love that I can tell what kind of mood you are in from the color of your fingertips," he said slowly, a smile pulling at his lips. His teeth threatened to chatter, but he forced his jaw to settle. Some things… _this_… was more important than being cold. "Even if I haven't seen what you are working on, I know that if your fingertips are black that you are angry, upset… hurt." He watched Sasuke shove his hands into his pockets, as if hiding them would keep Naruto from seeing, knowing how dark they were, no matter how Sasuke washed them. "When they are red or orange I know you are confident, driven… I know you are driven by your passion. It's a damn fine color on you, S'uke."

Sasuke didn't speak or move at all, but his shoulders weren't held nearly as tight.

"My favorite, though," Naruto said softly, "My favorite is when they are blue. Not a normal blue. You mix this color… it's like the desert sky, or spring water, or flowers… or, fuck, I don't know. But, it means you're happy. I don't know why you love it so much, but when your fingers are that color I know that you've created something wonderful, breathtaking. I know that you're content, free… happy."

Naruto sighed. "And I love," Naruto stopped, chewing on his bottom lip and shivering in the night air. "There's this smile." Sasuke's shoulders once more tensed, but Naruto pressed on. "It's so fucking gorgeous that sometimes I want to set you in front of a mirror and demand that you capture it… because only you could. Only you can capture something so fleeting and so precious. You don't smile it very often, only when you see something beautiful. Sometimes you smile it at something that you've painted. You run your fingers over the dried brush strokes and smile… that smile, because you know it's breathtaking, spectacular, wonderful… and you're proud. But the thing I love…" Naruto swallowed, emotion constricting his throat and chest, the chill biting through his body, and his fingers curling into tight fists. "Sometimes," he whispered and closed his eyes. "Sometimes, you smile that smile at me. Like I'm beautiful. Like I'm worthy of you and that, somehow, despite everything, I make you proud."

His head fell forward and his teeth chattered violently. The headache that had been threatening to split his skull all night erupted with full force. "Sasuke, I love you, please…"

Suddenly, his chin was yanked up and his eyes snapped open to see midnight black glaring back at him. "Jesus, Naruto. What the hell happen to you?" Sasuke snapped and ran the fingers of his free hand like a feather over Naruto's stinging cheek. "You look like you have been through hell."

Naruto turned his face into Sasuke's fingers, leeching even the barest bits of warmth his fingers provided. A strained chuckle, colored with Naruto's anxiousness, exhaustion, and waning adrenaline, filled the air. "I was just trying to get to you. You said you wouldn't wait."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed and he pulled back his hand. Naruto reached out to stop him from leaving but Sasuke slapped his hand away and unwound the scarf from his neck before looping it tightly around Naruto's. "By killing yourself?" Sasuke asked sarcastically. "I was leaving, Naruto. I should leave."

"Don't," Naruto said but didn't attempt to step forward or touch Sasuke. "Just don't," he repeated, his blue eyes bright and sincere. "You are my most important thing. I realized that when I thought the mugger might actually kill me…"

"What? A mugger? You were mugged? Did he do this?" Sasuke asked while tilting Naruto's face to the side to see his injured cheek in the light of the street lamp. Naruto nodded awkwardly.

"I left early, I swear I did, but then I missed my stop on the subway and there was this taxi driver," the last words were growled.

"Why didn't you call?"

Naruto's eyes widened comically and his mouth opened and shut like a fish out of water. "I… I didn't even…" His fingers pushed into his pocket and removed his Blackberry. Condensation had collected on the square screen but a swipe of his thumb over the buttons showed that the phone was working just fine.

Sasuke's smirk was dark and wicked. "Idiot," he said and Naruto nearly smiled at the soft spoken insult.

Before he could respond, thought, for the first time that night, the orange device rang. The noise was unnaturally harsh and shrill to Naruto's ears. They both looked down to see 'Sakura' blinking on the caller id.

Naruto held the phone in his trembling fingers and looked up, eyes wide like he'd been caught red-handed in the cookie jar. His heart beat painfully as he watched Sasuke's face, which had been so open, close down and his eyes darken like the eye of a storm, dangerous and silent.

Sasuke's lips thinned and then, he shook his head and turned away.

Naruto pressed the talk button and slowly brought the phone to his ear without taking his eyes off of Sasuke.

"Sakura," he said and his fingers curled tightly over the phone as Sasuke started to walk away. "Stop!" he snapped, his voice harsh and desperate. He cut off whatever whirlwind explanation Sakura was spouting, none of which he heard over his own heart beating frantically, nearly breaking, as Sasuke got further and further away. "I'm on vacation for another week and a half. It's your problem, your headache. It's your job now." Sasuke stopped walking. "I just wanted to tell you that Sasuke sends his warm wishes and says 'Merry Fucking Christmas'."

He bunched the off button with his thumb and brought the phone down to his side. Sasuke turned around slowly and an elegant eyebrow rose over cautious but darkly amused eyes.

Naruto rubbed the back of his head with his hand, smiling shyly. "I'm always…"

The phone rang again and without looking at the I.D. or, in fact, taking his smiling eyes from Sasuke at all, Naruto casually flicked his wrist to the side. The phone landed in a puddle of ice and snow and quietly sank out of sight.

Sasuke's eyes followed the phone and widened in surprise. "Idiot," he reprimanded turning to face Naruto.

Naruto didn't care though, all he saw was Sasuke walking back to him.

"You could have just turned it off."

Naruto shrugged and took the last step forward, standing face to face with Sasuke.

"I'm always going to choose you. And if you walk away," Naruto's face twisted with the pain the words brought him but then he pressed on, voice strong and confident. "I'll chase after you because I love you… everything about you… but I hate, hate watching you walk away."

Sasuke was close enough to touch and Naruto reached out and gasped Sasuke's fingers, pulling him forward. They were warm and Naruto looked down to see that the tips were dark, stained with paint. "I'm sorry, Sasuke."

"Hn," Sasuke responded with a smirk and then closed the gap, pressing their lips together in a kiss. Warmth burst inside him and Naruto moaned against Sasuke's tongue as his eyes closed. Sasuke's hands cupped his cheeks and tilted his head, deepening the kiss into something dark and delicious. The shudder that ran unchecked through Naruto's body had nothing to do with the weather.

Sasuke, however, didn't seem to understand that.

"No," Naruto whimpered, "don't…"

"Dammit, Naruto, you look like a drowned rat."

Naruto shook his head and touched his forehead with Sasuke's, rubbing their noses and smiling. "I'm fine, now where were we?" he whispered against frowning lips.

In the next second, he'd stepped back and turned his head, catching a violent sneeze in his arm. Three sneezes later and Sasuke was at his side, arm wrapped around him.

"Come on, let's go inside. You're going to be sick for the rest of your vacation. Whining…"

Naruto sniffled and shook his head again. "I can't go in there. Look at me."

Cool, black eyes appraised him. "I'm sure Chouji has something you can change into." He cut off Naruto's objection with a glare. "You must be starving and we can sit in the kitchen. You like that better anyway." Sasuke forced him forward and Naruto limped beside him. "What the fuck happened to you?"

Naruto shrugged, hiding a wince. "I twisted my ankle in a pothole crossing the street."

"Hn," Sasuke replied.

"And I was held up with a spatula."

Sasuke turned and looked at him, still walking. "What?"

Naruto nodded solemnly. "Yeah, and Konohamaru, that little punk, shoved me into a wall and it hurt!"

"Konohamaru Sarutobi _mugged_ you?"

"Little punk ass…" Naruto muttered in confirmation.

"I see," Sasuke said.

"And I was nearly killed on the subway. My coat got caught in the door and I got my arms free just as I was about to be smashed between the train and the wall."

Sasuke looked at him, disbelief in his slightly raised brow and smirking mouth.

"I was! And the fucking cab driver… I think maybe he was flirting, but he called me dickless!"

"Idiot," Sasuke interrupted and Naruto huffed, stomping his foot, only to hiss when it jarred his bad ankle.

"He did! And then he splashed me…"

"Naruto," Sasuke said as they stopped in front of the doors. Naruto could smell the delicious aroma of Chouji's food but all he could see was Sasuke's skin kissed by the soft yellow light streaming out from the restaurant. A smirk played at Sasuke's mouth and his black eyes melted into something sinful and loving… something contradictory and solely Sasuke. "I was talking about the cab driver. Dickless, my ass."

Naruto blinked owlishly, stuck between fascination at just being near Sasuke and Sasuke's obviously suggestive words. When he opened his mouth, he didn't know what he was going to say and was shocked to hear himself asked, "Why, Sasuke?"

Hand frozen on the door handle, Sasuke's head tilted slightly as an elegant brow lifted in silent question.

Naruto finished, "Why do you love me?"

Sasuke smiled… that smile, that gorgeous, breathtaking smile. With a shrug, he leaned against Naruto for just a moment before pressing a kiss against his mouth and opening the door.

In the soft chirping of the door's bell, Naruto heard Sasuke say as he squeezed his fingers in his own, "You make me smile."

Naruto couldn't have asked for more.


End file.
